Presidential candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Aare Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, escaped a serious attack on Saturday during a burial ceremony in Ekusa, Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by. Adekunle Rufai Omoaje,
made available to the media in Kaduna, explaining the events that led to the near-violent incident.
According to the statement, Omoaje had traveled to Ekusa accompanied by notable members of the Action Alliance in the state, including the Osun State Chairman of the party, Hon. Kazeem Araoye.
The AA delegation was in Ekusa at the invitation of a friend of the presidential candidate, who was burying his mother. The event was initially peaceful and attracted residents and political supporters.
Trouble started after Omoaje took the stage to dance to the music of a popular highlife musician, known as Olu Mighty. The musician publicly praised Omoaje as he stood alongside his political loyalists.
The mood shifted when some members of the Accord Party in the state, led by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Affairs, stormed the stage. They seemed to be trying to take over the stage already occupied by Omoaje and his supporters.
Shortly after, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also took the stage and showed intolerance to the eulogy being performed for Omoaje by the musician.
The situation quickly worsened as members of the Accord Party and the APC engaged in a heated exchange on stage. The verbal clash soon escalated into a physical altercation.
Eyewitnesses at the burial said a group of political thugs, allegedly loyal to both the APC and Accord Party, were seen at the scene, wielding various weapons, including cutlasses, knives, and charms.
The presence of armed youths increased tension and caused panic among guests who had assembled peacefully for the burial.
It required the quick intervention of Omoaje’s loyalists present at the scene to evacuate the AA presidential candidate from the venue safely.
Many members of Omoaje’s entourage also faced difficulties, scattering to escape being caught in the chaos.
The disruption forced an abrupt end to the activities at the burial, with many attendees fleeing to ensure their safety.
Reacting to the incident, Omoaje condemned the rising political violence in Osun State and called on law enforcement agencies to step up efforts to protect lives and property.
He urged security agencies to take decisive action before, during, and after the upcoming August 15 governorship election to prevent a recurrence.
The AA presidential candidate also criticized those responsible for the “dastardly act” and warned against actions that could foment trouble in the state and across the nation before the next general elections.
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