Supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Governor Rauf Aregbesola and those of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyiola Omisore yesterday clashed in Ilesa leading to the death of two persons.
It was gathered that supporters of the two political gladiators clashed at Irojo area of Ilesa using various dangerous weapons and charms.
The identity of the two victims of the clash could not be immediately confirmed, but they were said to have battled to live and only died after being beaten severally with charms.
The Public Relations Officer of the state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Ayo Olowo confirmed the incident, but said normalcy had since returned to Ilesa.
In his reaction, the APC in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi alleged that the PDP thugs burnt billboards of the APC governorship candidate and shot sporadically, causing residents to flee .
“The APC condemn in the strongest term the recourse to violence by desperate politicians in the PDP who have been boasting publicly to use every means including federal might to remove the APC from power in the state,” he stated.
The blame game continued with the PDP also accusing APC of starting the bloody clash.
In a statement by Omisore’s Director of Media and Strategy, Prince Diran Odeyemi, he blamed the APC for the violence recorded in Ilesa and other parts of the state, alleging that the APC was responsible for the clash.
Odeyemi noted that the APC governorship candidate had instigated his supporters to resolve to violence, saying that “Aregbesola had at different occasions called on his loyalists to go to campaigns and even polling centres fully armed.”
He condemned the resolve of the APC to violence, saying that “the era of do or die should have gone for good in Nigerian politics.”
Following growing violence in the state, the Joint Task Force has been sent to ensure peace reigns in the state ahead of the August 9 sdw governorship election.
The APC has however condemned the move, saying the Presidency must have sent them to cow APC supporters.
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