From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin
Some unidentified youths, suspected to be the members of a political party in Kwara state, on Tuesday allegedly attacked the convoy of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State in Kaiama, Kaiama local government area of the state.
Governor Ahmed was in the ancient town to kick-off the commencement of the N7.9billion reconstruction work on Kaiama-Kishi road and the commissioning of the remodeled general hospital in the community.
The suspected thugs, who put on party posters and banners, had converged beside the Emir of Kaiama’s palace waiting for the governor’s convoy.
They allegedly stoned the governor’s convoy as his team left the emir’s palace after commissioning of General hospital, where Alhaji Ahmed was billed to be turbaned by Governor Ahmed as the ‘Jarman’ Kaiama.
The intervention of the governor’s security details prevented the situation from snowballing into a free-for-all. Policemen in the convoy of the governor fired teargas canisters sporadically into the air to disperse the youths.
The youths were shouting ‘Bukola ole, Fatai ole’ as they drove to the Emir’s palace.
When contacted , the state’s Police Command’s spokesperson, Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the incident, saying that he was yet to adequately brief about the incident.
His words, “I am sure some people would have been arrested.”
In its reaction, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state described the alleged attack on the governor’s convoy as the height of political provocation.
In a statement, APC spokesperson, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari said, “Apparently bitter and terrified by the rousing reception accorded Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his entourage by APC members and the good people of Kaiama, a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) State Executive Committee (SEC) led his armed thugs to mount ambush on the road, around a PDP secretariat which is not far away from the Emir’s palace immediately after the turbaning. “
He called for a thorough investigation of the matter.
Meanwhile, the Kwara state government and PDP have expressed different views on the true identity of political thugs who attacked the governor.
The state governor, it was learnt has also lodged a formal complaint to the state’s Commissioner of Police, over the attack.
But the State Chairman of PDP, Chief Iyiola Akogun,in his reaction denied that the attack was by members of the party.
The state government, in a letter signed by Alhaji B. S Abdulsalam, the Senior Special Assistant Security Intelligence to the Executive Governor, said that the state government identified some PDP stalwarts in Kaiama as the brains behind the unfortunate incidents.
However, the State Chairman of PDP, Chief Iyiola Akogun said, “I want to tell you that the attack was not from members of PDP. I have always been of the view that when people continue to deceive the electorate, the pay day is always around the corner and so the people may be reacting to years of neglect by the state government.
“They are not PDP thugs. Why should the governor decide to flag off road construction when election is just around the corner?
“The government and APC should look inwards among themselves for the blame. They should not be looking for scape-goat for what they have done wrong.”
