The political imbroglio rocking in Ogun State took a dramatic turn as political thugs suspected to be All Progressives Congress (APC) members attacked notable PDP members due to the build up of the 2023 general elections in Ogun state.
Recall that, the duo Olonade Oladapo and Alhassan Ashimolowo were formerly loyalists of the APC governorship candidate, Prince Dapo Abiodun in the state, in the build-up to the 2019 governorship election but their relationship turned sour after the swearing-in of the Governor.
According to Olonade Oladapo, he severed his relationship with Governor Abiodun during the COVID-19 pandemic. He alleged that the governor’s approach to ameliorating the suffering of the people was poor.
Olonade accused the governor of diverting the federal government palliatives funds meant for the people. He further alleged that no medical facilities were provided which made people to die recklessly.
According to him, about N5 billion palliative funds was embezzled by the governor, which made him to abandon some vital projects that could have saved lives.
He expatiated further that, in 2020, Governor Abiodun allegedly sent his political thugs to attack Endsars protesters who were agitating against police brutality in the state.
He also added that the above-mentioned reasons and several others made him and Alhassan Ashimolowo to dump the governor for the opposition party PDP in 2021 and they were immediately, appointed as PDP Election Mobilization Committee members by the party chairman, Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele.
He also explained that their appointment did not augur down well with the ruling party, APC and this culminated into an attack by some APC thugs along the governor’s office, Oke-Mosan in Abeokuta, on their way to Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, the PDP Leader’s house, in Iperu, Ikenne local government of the state. Their vehicle was shot at, and the case was reported at the Police station in Abeokuta.
Subsequently, Olonade, a PDP youth leader in ward 13, Abeokuta South local government, and his friend, Ashimolowo, the local government youth leader, campaigned massively for PDP and mobilized voters for Hon. Ladi Adebutu in the 2023 Gubernatorial election in Abeokuta South, where they won with massive votes for PDP. But the governor allegedly went ahead to cause violence with his thugs at other local governments and manipulated the results of the elections.
According to Olonade, the governor also bribed INEC the electoral body to manipulate the election result and got himself announced as the winner of the governorship election.
This development made PDP to challenge the governor and INEC at the Election Petition Tribunal for review of the election.
At the court hearing on May 22, 2023, some political thugs suspected to be APC thugs attacked PDP supporters at the court premises.
Recall that a leader of the PDP in the state and former spokesperson to PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Otunba Segun Showunmi was attacked at the court and beaten mercilessly with other PDP supporters.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the attack at the court, Olonade said, “I just received a call from my wife now that, the some thugs had attacked my children while coming back from school. I have just been informed that, this was a well orchestrated plan to silence the oppositions in the state. The opposition members have been living in fear of being killed. My 17year-old Oluwafikayomi Olonade was poisoned with snipper acid, while Moyosore Alhassan narrowly escaped with the acid they poured on him.
“This led to the death of Oluwafikayomi Olonade on 2nd August 2023, that his life was cut short, all in the name of politics.”
As a result of these tragic incidents, Mr. Oladapo Olonade has disappeared from social circles and has been living in fear of being killed.
A source who chose to remain anonymous informed journalists that he relocated to a neighboring state to prevent another attack on his family since he has been confirmed to be on the wanted list of power that be in the state.
Since the tragic incident, Mr. Oladapo Olonade has disappeared from social circle.
