Following Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC’ exoneration of its members, particularly the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, in the alleged assassination attempt on the senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice, the senator has maintained that the attack was masterminded by some aides of the governor.
The senator, who is championing the use of direct modality for the party’s primaries in the state as against the indirect method being endorsed by Gov. Akeredolu, denied stage-managing the attack as alleged by the APC in a statement earlier issued by its state’s Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaye.
In a statement made available to the press to counter the claim, the senator’s media aide, Kayode Fakuyi berated the Ade Adetimehin-led APC in the state for not condemning the act outright, alleging that the move is to distract ongoing investigation on the issue.
“It should be noted that supporters of the senator have never stage-managed such incident in the past. They have no tendency to stage-manage such incident. They have no reason whatsoever to stage-manage such incident. The supporters of the senator could not have stage-managed an attack that was coordinated by appointees of the governor.
“It is quite daft for any group to insinuate supporters of the senator mobilised armed thugs to attack themselves. If such lie was invented with the hope of diverting and distracting the course of investigation, the lie has failed to achieve its objectives.
“According to preliminary investigation, the attack was coordinated by appointees of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. The duo of Senior Special Adviser on Security to the Governor, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo and Special Adviser to the Governor on Natural Resources, Lawal Fatai Olusina have cases to answer with the Inspector General of Police’s crack team on the incident.
“While the Mr Ade Adetimehin-led faction of All Progressives Congress in Ondo State has not deem it right to condemn the attack, the faction has issued two contradictory statements about the incident within 24 hours.
“In one breath, the faction through its spokesman, Mr Alex Kalejaye, confirmed that some aggrieved members of the party in Owo invaded the venue of the campaign. In another press statement, the faction through same spokesman said the assailants are not party members. The faction should stop undermining the image of APC with its seeming confusion.”
The statement further read: “Also, it is our considered view that the statements credited to the Commissioner for information in Ondo State and the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor on the matter are watery innuendos. They neither cleared, nor disassociated their boss.
“Meanwhile, the insinuation raised by the the Ade Adetimehin-led faction that the attack on Senator Ajayi Boroffice was stage-managed by the supporters of the senator is most unfortunate.
“Security agencies in Ondo State should be on alert because it is evidently clear that the greatest threat to peace in Ondo State are the people with the responsibilities to protect lives and properties of the good people of Ondo State.”
Over the weekend, the senator had stated that he narrowly escaped an alleged assassination attempt on his life at a meeting in Owo, where he had gone to solicit the support of prospective voters in the governor’s home town.
