The Labour Party governorship candidate in the August 9 gubernatorial election in Osun State, Mr. Fatai Akinbade has described the call by the state governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, for the use of charms by his supporters at the coming polls as a direct invitation to violence.
While Aregbesola had at a rally in Ikire, Irewole Local Government headquarters, called on All Progressive Congress (APC) members in the state to be armed with charms to their various polling booths in the coming election, a member of House of Representatives, Hon. Rotimi Makinde also made similar call in Ile Ife during Aregbesola’s flag off campaign.
But Akinbade in a statement by his Director of Media, Mr Kayode Oladeji, condemned the call, insisting that it was capable of causing mayhem during the election. Towards this end,the former Secretary to the State Government while imploring security agencies to be on the red alert, urged the Federal Government to fortify the state with enough security so as to forestall possible outbreak of violence as being demanded subtly by the governor.
Akinbade, who said that it was unbecoming of the governor and his party members to be unguarded in their utterances, noted that the call for the use of charms by Aregbesola should not be waved off by treating it with kid gloves “He knows what he is saying. He means it. Aregbesola knows he has already lost. He is only being clever by half. Imagine somebody who mouths being for peace, urging his supporters to be armed with charms to the polling booths, to do what? Or does he want to turn polling units to juju shrine?”, Akinbade asked.
The governorship hopeful averred that Aregbesola’s position on the use of charms was aimed at scaring away genuine voters at the coming polls. “Yoruba leaders should prevail on Aregbesola to stop denigrating the race through such shenanigans because we are a decent race noted for civility and as such,we should not be fanning the ember of discord under whatever guise”, the LP governorship candidate said.
