The crisis over local government administration in Oyo State worsened on Monday when a man identified as Abdulasisi Isa was shot dead during a clash in Surulere Local Government Area of the state.
The deceased is a member of PDP in Surulere local government.
He was killed when supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) and those of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clashed over who is the authentic chairperson of the local government.
There have been pockets of violence between supporters of the local council chairpersons sacked by Governor Seyi Makinde and those of the caretaker committees he appointed in their place.
The sacked officials are members of APC while those he appointed are members of PDP.
Many people were also injured when supporters of the two parties clashed in the local government area.
It was gathered that several weapons were on display during the fracas. Prior to the Surulere mayhem, there were incidences of violence in other local government areas such as Ogbomoso North Local Government.
Mr Olamiju Alao-Akala, son of a former Governor of the state, Mr Adebayo Alao-Akala, alleged that he was also attacked.
Alao-Akala junior who is the Chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government before he was sacked by Mr Makinde with his counterparts in other councils.
Early Monday morning, he said he was attacked by hoodlums believed to be supporters of PDP.
The caretaker chairperson in the local government area, Mr Ibrahim Ajagbe, denied the claim. Ajagbe said it was the son of the former governor that led armed thugs to disperse his own group from the council secretariat.
Ajagbe said eight people that were injured by the APC loyalists were taken to hospital.
Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr Akeem Olatunji, while reacting, said the deceased is a chieftain of PDP in the local government area.
Olatunji alleged that he was shot dead by APC loyalists.
“A chieftain of PDP in person of Mr Abdulasisi Isa was shot dead and another person was hospitalised as a result of gunshots. They were allegedly shot by the former Chairman of Surulere North local government, Mr Ogunniran Akinwumi Master.
Also, some APC thugs led by Mr Ibraheem Gbodeniyi, and Alao-Akala, with one Akeem Alaroje and Sunday Adeniran”.
But, Publicity Secretary of APC, Mr Abdulazeez Olatunde, insisted that it was PDP that caused the violence. Mr Olatunde said that despite the Court injunction which certified that the elected chairpersons were the authentic occupants of the seats, PDP still went ahead to cause trouble.
“It is very unfortunate that despite the court injunction that affirmed APC as the authentic occupants, PDP still went ahead to attack our people. Despite all these, they went ahead to cause trouble. It was yesterday that we got the information that they would attack us. It was not APC that attacked them. PDP is the one that is causing trouble,” he said.
Efforts made to get reaction of the police spokesperson, Mr Olugbega Fadeyi, failed. Several calls put through Fadeyi’s telephone line were not successful. Similarly, an SMS sent asking him to react to the matter has not been replied as at the time of filing this report Monday evening.
PT
