The Osun State chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Accord have exchanged accusations over the alleged vandalisation of campaign billboards across the state.
The Accord Party, in a statement issued in Osogbo on Friday by its state chairman, Victor Akande, accused the Osun APC of masterminding the destruction of its candidate’s billboards.
Akande described the incidents as deliberate acts of vandalism allegedly carried out by individuals linked to the APC.
“Osun APC cannot run away from its shadows, from its crimes. Denial from Osun APC is an afterthought. The dastardly act is too obvious to ignore,” he said.
According to him, the destruction occurred in several towns, including Osogbo, Ede, Ila, Ilesa and Ile-Ife, resulting in significant financial losses.
“The destruction of billboards was perpetrated across major towns in Osun State… It was a pre-planned evil conduct, leading to the loss of millions of naira in materials,” Akande stated.
He disclosed that the party had commenced legal action over the matter and called on security agencies to investigate the incidents.
“We take this infraction seriously and we have taken appropriate legal steps to remedy the situation. This illegality will not go unpunished,” he added, while urging party supporters to remain calm and law-abiding.
Reacting, the Osun APC Governorship Campaign Council dismissed the allegations as false and politically motivated.
In a statement signed by the council’s Head of Media and Publicity, Oluremi Omowaiye, the party accused the state government and its allies of engaging in self-vandalism to discredit the opposition.
“We state unequivocally that this allegation is false, baseless, and a desperate attempt to ‘hang a dog in order to give it a bad name,’” the statement read.
The APC further alleged that campaign materials belonging to its governorship candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, had also been repeatedly destroyed by political thugs allegedly linked to the state government and the Accord Party.
“If anything, it is the campaign billboards and promotional materials of our candidate that have suffered relentless destruction at the hands of political thugs visibly linked to the Osun State Government and its Accord Party,” the statement added.
The party also alleged that the accusations were aimed at diverting public attention from scrutiny surrounding officials of the state administration.
It added that security agencies had been informed of the development and expressed confidence that appropriate steps would be taken to address the situation.
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