Nigeria Content Online

Ahead of the
National Assembly elections re-scheduled for Saturday, tension is
mounting across Oyo, self-acclaimed Pacesetter State, as the state
governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala, has reportedly given a standing directive
to all the acting chairmen of the 33 local governments in the state to
deliver their territories or face sack.

The governor had appointed all the caretaker chairmen after the expiration of term of the elected ones last year.

A source said the
governor gave the directive at a stakeholder meeting of the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) held at Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, on
Tuesday, after assessing the near failure of the party at the botched
election of last Saturday.

Already, the
alleged order has started generating tension in the state as charges of
threats, violent clashes, and arms buildup are becoming the order of
the day.

Speaking through
Adeolu Adeleke, his campaign director, a former governor of Oyo State,
Rashidi Ladoja, described the alleged directive as an invitation to
anarchy.

Mr. Ladoja’s
observation came a day after his predecessor, Lam Adesina, raised a
similar alarm. The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) leader in Oyo State
had alleged that the governor was desperate about winning for the PDP
at all costs.

According to him,
Mr. Alao-Akala had set aside N1billion for use by the acting local
government bosses to buy people’s votes, and to resort to the use of
violence, “if the carrot option fails”.

Mr. Adesina warned
against the alleged plan, and said members of his party are equally
ready to match them strength for strength.

Already, the much
dreaded anarchy has started rearing its head as scores of people were
said to have been injured at a violent clash between suspected PDP
thugs and traders at Araromi/Gate Motor Dealers Market, Ibadan, on
Wednesday, when the former were said to have swooped on the market to
destroy a wooden rostrum built to host Ladoja’s campaign team.

The Accord Party,
on whose platform Mr. Ladoja is contesting the governorship seat of the
state, is said to enjoy the sympathy of the majority of traders in the
market. It was reported that the attack was led by a local government
caretaker committee chairman, but was effectively rebuffed by the
traders, who were said to have been prepared for such possibilities.
Following the attack and subsequent security reports, the Accord Party
governorship candidate called off the rally.

While the incident
was going on, a member of the House of Representatives, Lanre Agoro, in
a press chat at the ACN state office, in Ibadan, alleged that Mr.
Alao-Akala wanted to get him out of circulation before the next
Saturday elections at any cost.

Victory is certain

The lawmaker, who
defected from the PDP and is now re-contesting his seat in the National
Assembly under the banner of the ACN, said he has been under incessant
attacks from the ruling party, particularly the state governor, since
his exit from the party.

Mr. Agoro, who said
he was sure of winning the ticket to represent Irepo/Orelope/Olorunsogo
Constituency at the lower chambers of the National Assembly on
Saturday, said the governor pushed him out of the PDP, after feeling
uncomfortable with his comments on what he calls the governor’s
mis-governance of the state.

He explained that
his rising popularity has become his undoing and the ruling party has
resolved to get him out of the way, so that he would not be able to
mobilise people for the election.

The plot, he added,
included his recent quiz by the State Security Service (SSS) over an
unsubstantiated allegation. He said three of his men are still being
held by the organisation over the allegation, adding that when the PDP
saw that the SSS were not really acting to their expectation, the party
then wanted to involve the police.

The plot, he claimed, does not end with getting him into custody till the end of the elections, but his possible extermination.

The police, however, have denied the allegation.