PDP thugs vandalise Lagos ACN deputy governorship candidate’s campaign office
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Emmanuel Oladesu 27/03/2011 00:45:00
image Hon. Joke Orelope-Adefulire

There was pandemonium yesterday in Alimoso Local Government Area of Lagos State, following the invasion of the campaign office of the running mate to Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Hon. Joke Orelope-Adefulire,  by suspected Peoples Democratic Party (PDP thugs.

Residents took to their heels as the hoodlums, who were allegedly led by the PDP House of Assembly candidate for Alimoso Constituency, Segun Adewale, brandished dangerous weapons, including guns, cutlasses, axes and broken bottles.

Eye witnesses told our correspondent that the thugs shot into the campaign office located along 85-87, Idimu Road, wounding four persons. The victims were immediately rushed to the General Hospital, Alimoso, along Egbeda-Iba Road.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation said the matter had been reported at the police station, Idimu, and State Security Services (SSS) Office, Shangisha.

ACN Chairman, Otunba Oladele Ajomale, condemned the attack saying that PDP is jittery over the general elections.

He said the resort to intimidation and violence has confirmed that PDP is finished in the state, urging Lagosians to reject the conservative party at the polls.

The invasion of Adefulire’s campaign office came on the heels of the attack on the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) House of Assembly member in Alimoso Constituency, Hon. Bisi Yusuf, by suspected PDP thugs. Also, the chairman of Olorunda Local council Development area (LCDA), Hon. Amida Abudu, cried out that PDP chieftains have concluded plans to arrest ACN leaders and supporters on the eve of the National Assembly elections holding on Saturday.

He said: “PDP chieftains have been intimidating us in the Badagry Division. They say they want to capture Badagry for PDP because the state PDP chairman, Setonji Koshoedo, is from Badagry. We are not intimidated because our party is waxing stronger in this division. biut we must not leve anything to chances”.

Orelope-Adefulire, who took exception to the attack on her campaign office, said the resort to hooliganism by the PDP candidate marked him out as an enemy of the peace-loving people of Alimosho.

Narrating her ordeal, she said: “I was at a rallyorganised by our party, ACN, in Apapa, when I was informed that my campaign office, located in my father’s house, was invaded by the PDP candidate for the House of Assembly in Alimoso Constituency.

“He came with thugs who shot at my office. They wounded four persons, vandalised the office and damaged many office equipment. He has been going about with nefarious activities in the area for three weeks. We have reported him at the police station, Idimu, SSS office, Idimu and Shangisha”.

The running mate added: “I don’t know what PDP is up to. If the PDP candidate is afraid or not ready for the election, the best option is for him to withdraw from the election. He should withdraw, if he is frustrated”.

Collaborating the commissioner, ACN House of Representatives candidate in Alimoso Federal Constituency, hon. Adeola Olamilekan, said the attack was unwarranted, warning that PDP wanted to derail the elections.

He said: ‘Between 10.30 am and 11 am, we were getting set for our campaign. Then, PDP members were seen super-imposing PDP posters on ACN posters. PDP boys were challenged for doing that. They now went and reinforced and came back with guns, matchets and other dangerous weapons. They stormed the campaign office of Mrs Joke Orelope-Adefulire and started shooting sporadically. Blood flowed, cars were damaged and the office damaged.

“We alerted the police and they came to restore order. The PDP boys opened fire on police. The police over-powered them and one of their cars crashed into a drainage and one of the boys was arrested. the incident was reported to the police. Police and SSS called the PDP candidate for interrogation, but an order came from Abuja that he should be released”.

Also narrating his experience, Hon. Yusuf said: ‘At 4 pm, at Abesan Estate, when I was going for campaign, we ran into the PDP entourage. I was attacked. My banner was seized and set on fire i reported the incident to policemen at Ayobo Station’.

Hon. Amida said the plan by PDP to drum fear into ACN members in Badagry would fail, addingb that PDP chieftains are cowards.

“PDP is afraid of this contest and they will meet their waterloo on Saturday”, he added.