Tension rose in Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, in the early hours of Sunday over fear of reprisal attack following the death of a member of the transporters’ union, who was a supporter of the All Progressives Congress in the clash between APC members and supporters and the Social Democratic Party on Saturday.
As motorists took detours to avoid major streets and stay safe, residents, who were on the alert, gathered in front of their homes to discuss the latest development and their fears around safety for the governorship election this weekend Saturday just as many shunned church programmes in the heart of the town.
The ever-busy Ijigbo to Ajilosun Street through Ikere Road was deserted for hours until men of the Nigerian Army, police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps came to the rescue through mobilization to the flashpoints.
Men of the Nigerian Army, who erected check points on both sides of the road in front of Akure Motor Park to allay people’s fears and restore normalcy to the metropolis, prevented normal transport activities from holding at the park.
The APC and SDP had traded blame over responsibility for Saturday’s bloody clash which took place at Itaji Ekiti in the Oye Local Government area.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, who said that normalcy had been restored to the metropolis, said that the Commissioner of Police, Moronkeji Adesina, had deployed personnel to maintain law and order.
Abutu said, “Normalcy has returned, necessary police deployment has been made. Concerning the one that happened yesterday and this morning, the CP has ordered discrete investigation into the incidents, so that there will be no such occurrences again”.
Meanwhile, the SDP and APC on Sunday continued with verbal war on Sunday over the visit of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), to Ekiti State fixed for Tuesday to campaign for the APC governorship candidate, Biodun Oyebanji.
The Director of Media, Segun Oni Campaign Organisation, Jackson Adebayo, who said Governor Kayode Fayemi did not have any project on ground which would be inaugurated for use by Buhari to campaign for Oyebanji, said, “Ekiti people will not vote for continuation of failure, but rather vote for SDP candidate, Chief Segun Oni”.
Adebayo, who said Buhari had not been to Ekiti State since 2018 following alleged dearth of projects in the state, queried, “Can Fayemi tell us a new initiative he brought into government that improved the lots of the people in the last three years plus that Mr President is coming to celebrate or use to campaign for APC candidate?”
But the APC State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, who said SDP might be blind to the development strides of the Fayemi government, said, “The simple reaction to this is that they (SDP) should tell everyone the project completed or inaugurated in the three-and-a-half miserable and inglorious years of Segun Oni in the saddle.
“That is if he (Oni) can point to any project at all. Rather, he spent Ekiti money on prosecuting and trying to legitimise his illegitimate government. Oni is a drowning horse,” the APC spokesperson said.
