Governorship aspirant of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Wale Akinterinwa, has cried out over serial attacks on his supporters and campaign materials.
Mr Akinterinwa, who is a former Finance Commissioner under the Late Rotimi Akeredolu, is also pointing fingers at the state Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as being behind the attacks.
He called on the police and the State Security Services to probe the recent attacks on his supporters in Odigbo Local Government Area.
The spokesperson of Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organisation, Segun Ajiboye, on Monday, called on the leadership of the APC in the state to also take note of the attacks and destruction of property and billboards of governorship aspirants by suspected thugs loyal to the governor.
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Mr Ajiboye said the thugs unleashed terror on hapless citizens in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.
He noted that during the attack, the thugs destroyed a large billboard of Wale Akinterinwa.
He urged leaders of the APC in the state and at the national level to call Governor Aiyedatiwa to order before he destroys the party.
“It is regrettable that despite our calls to the police and the DSS to ensure the safety of supporters of other aspirants and their properties across the state, the one-sided attacks and destructions have continued.
“We are using this latest opportunity to call on the commissioner of police and the director of the state security service in Ondo State to be proactive and put measures in place to forestall any further attack on the people by thugs working for Governor Aiyedatiwa,” Mr Ajiboye said.
But the Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation swiftly responded to the allegations, saying the claims were “clueless attempts” to disparage the governor.
“There are at least six governorship aspirants from the Southern senatorial district, apart from Wale Akinterinwa. How come Akinterinwa’s lackeys, either as directed or deliberately, see Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as a muted punching bag?” a statement by the Director of Information for LACO-FSIC, Kayode Fasua, read.
“The fact of the matter remains that we require evidence to prove that their phantom thugs who are better conjectured as gobblins or gnomes, are from Aiyedatiwa.
“They are as unserious as their allegation. Any thug spotted destroying their billboard should be reported to the police, rather than distract a hardworking governor,” the statement added.
The rivalry between Mr Akinterinwa and the incumbent governor began during the crisis of succession, which plagued the Akeredolu cabinet during the illness of the late governor.
Mr Akinterinwa is famed to have led the opposition to the emergence of Mr Aiyedatiwa as Acting Governor, in spite of the pressure both from within and outside the state.
Both are aspiring to win the ticket of the APC come 25 April, and both also lay claims to having been endorsed by the late governor to succeed him.
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