Ekiti 2022: Segun Oni alleges assassination attempt

Following the attack on his campaign rally on Wednesday, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti State, Segun Oni, has said that desperate politicians were after his life.

His complaints were contained in a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, alleging that the attack was an attempt on his life.

Also copied were the Director-General, State Security Services (SSS), Yusuf Bichi, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

According to the petition, Mr Oni said there was an attempt on his life by political thugs during his visit to Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti State on April 6.

The thugs, armed with dangerous weapons, had attacked his campaign and wounded scores of SDP supporters, while also vandalising some vehicles in his convoy.

The Segun Oni Campaign Organisation (SOCO) through its legal counsel, Owoseni Ajayi and Associates, in the petition, dated April 7, 2022, told the security chiefs to increase security around the SDP candidate and also investigate those behind the attack for possible arrest and prosecution.

The 18-paragraph petition titled “Re: Attempted assassination of Engr. Olusegun Oni, former Governor of Ekiti State and Gubernatorial Candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ekiti State in the forthcoming Governorship Election.” It urged a full investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the mayhem that happened on April 6 at Efon Alaaye.

The petitioners urged the security agencies to bring the culprits to book “immediately to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.”

While calling for the strengthening of the personal security of the former governor, the petitioners also asked the police to caution members of the ruling APC to desist from boasting of using federal might to bulldoze their way to victory during the coming election.

Mr Oni appealed to the security heads to discharge their constitutional duties diligently and effectively during the Ekiti poll, as they had done recently during the Anambra gubernatorial election.

What Oni’s campaign said

Mr Oni’s campaign organisation’s statement on Wednesday, however, indicated that Mr Oni was not at the venue where the attack took place at the time.

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“Shortly after the Efon Local Government members and supporters of the SDP had converged at the venue to wait for the arrival of the party’s governorship candidate, Segun Oni, the thugs started shooting and attacked the supporters with sticks and cutlasses,” Jackson Adebayo, the campaign spokesman, had said.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Sunday Abutu, had earlier confirmed the attack, saying the gun-wielding thugs invaded the campaign ground of the former governor and made spirited efforts to disrupt it.

“Yes, the hoodlums came to the venue with dangerous weapons to disrupt the consultation process of the SDP candidate, Engr Segun Oni, but our men were able to put the situation under control,” he said.

This goes into the records as the first major election violence ahead of the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti State.