In a bid to ensure peaceful election on Saturday, Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi has cautioned politicians within his domain, Akure, the state capital, on the need to adhere to the rules and guidelines of the electoral process.
The monarch, who threatened to invoke the spirit of his ancestors to deal with anyone aiming to instigate or cause violence before, during and after the State House of Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, March 9, maintained that disruption of the peaceful atmosphere of the city would not be allowed under any guise.
Oba Aladetoyinbo gave the admonition during a peace meeting with politicians over the alleged rumour of possible violence during the Assembly election.
According to the monarch, “I have no doubt that the Governor is a peace-loving man. As the Chief Security Officer of the State, he will not want anything to disturb the existing peace in the State.
“However, there could be some fifth columnists who are hiding somewhere and will want to use the avenue of the election to unleash mayhem. This necessitated the need for this kind of meeting,” Oba Aladetoyinbo said.
Reaffirming the monarch’s stand, the Asamo of Akure, High Chief Rotimi Olusanya and the Elemo of Akure, High Chief Segun Adedipe reiterated the need for commitment to peaceful election.
The duo were unanimous in their submission that Akure cannot afford a repeat of the ugly 1983 saga, adding that “It is an understatement that the 1983 incident had really draw us back as a community”.
Responding, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Akure South Local Government, Chief Olu Ojo stated that the party is peace-loving and will never do anything that will affect the peace being enjoyed in Akure and the state at large.
“I believe that we do not need violence to win election, we are all indigenes of this town and we will not do anything that will threaten her development irrespective of our political differences. Kabiyesi, I want to assure you that our party will be law-abiding as we have always been,” Ojo said.
Also, a former Deputy Governor in the state, Ambassador Omolade Oluwateru, who spoke on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, reiterated the party’s commitment to peaceful election but decried the alleged plan by the ruling party to cause violence.
“We have listened to various media reports that there is a grand plot to use members of the NURTW to unleash mayhem and cause crisis during the Assembly poll.
“We cannot just sweep this under the carpet, the allegation is weighty and cannot be ignored.”
