Osun West: Lere organises fraudulent primaries








A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party and erstwhile Director General of Ademola Adeleke campaign organisation, Dr. Lere Oyewumi on Wednesday organised a fake primary election to clinch Osun West senatorial ticket of the party.

Akogun Lere who stormed the venue of the primary election officially slated for Iwo town hall on Tuesday with armed hoodlums reorganised his own at CeeBee hotel along Iwo-Ibadan express without any officials of the party.

The state and national leadership of the party steered clear of the excercise on the premises that the ticket has been conceded to Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, the second runner up in the party governorship election. The team said they came for affirmation in the West Senetorial District.

Recall that the same exercise was disrupted yesterday while members of the party had filled the venue with enthusiasm, exchanging pleasantries and determined to affirm Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi to represent Osun West in the 9th Assembly.

Ogunbiyi's supporters had thronged the place as early as 10am, filling up a larger part of the venue while those that were loyal to Dr. Lere Oyewumi who is also contesting the position arrived at the venue 2 hours later.

The supporters awaited the officials who didn't show up. Around 4pm Lere Oyewumi stormed the venue and moved for commencement of the exercise without the party authorised officials. He was ushered into the arena by daredevil hoodlums, soldiers and other security operatives.

But the national delegation of the party to the senatorial primary weren't available at that moment and Ogunbiyi was also said to be on his way to the venue but Lere insisted that the excercise must commence.

While the process was taking form, supporters of Ogunbiyi hinted the fake officials that he was on his way and requested that the exercise commence at least after the arrival of the national delegation of the party who were mandated to conduct the exercise.

Amidst the slight argument, hoodlums in Lere's entourage in clothes christened "event guard" assaulted the revolting Ogunbiyi's supporters, quickly moved towards their vehicles, picked up assault rifles and started firing sporadically.

The physical force scuttled the excercise as the party faithful took to their heels. However, with stones, raged youths in Iwo teamed up and confronted the gun, machete, axe and other weapons holding hoodlums and repelled them.

While the youths were confronting the affront, passerby and eyewitnesses scolded Lere for coming with armed hoodlums, alleging him of plotting to rob Iwo land the second time. They condemned his desperation to clinch the ticket forcefully, before the arrival of the national delegation.

The recoil upon the violent attack left the instigators and the schemer fell into the pit they dug. They retreated into the hall. Later, Hon Mudashir Lukman, an indigen of Iwo and PDP leader in the community intervened and brokered peace. The Iwo youths defended their people and property against the violence attack and repelled the aggression.

Today, Lere again brought delegates from Irewole and Isokan Local Government to Agoro area of Iwo in convince with armed thugs and some security operatives, gathering at the hotel to stage manage another election in total disregard to the party.