Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, says Oba Jimoh Olanipekun Larooye II, the Ataoja of Osogbo, was shot at by thugs during a recent invasion of his palace.
In a post on Sunday, the governor alleged that the thugs
were sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor said Ataoja was attacked because he publicly
endorsed him for a second term in office, a move he claimed did not sit well
with leaders of the Osun APC.
“The Ataoja of Osogbo, one of Nigeria’s most revered royal
fathers, said he was shot at by APC thugs inside his own palace. His subjects
were hit by live bullets. Kabiyesi himself was the target,” Adeleke wrote on X.
“Why? Because he stood with his people. Because he chose
good governance over thuggery. And yet Kabiyesi stood tall and declared:
‘Osogbo will stand for Imole’.”
The governor urged Ajibola Bashiru, APC national secretary,
whom he described as a bona fide son of Osogbo, to address the issue.
“Osun APC has gone too far — and I am directly challenging the National Secretary of the APC, a son of Osogbo, to call his party members to order,” Adeleke said.
“Why did they send thugs to your father’s palace? Why did
they desecrate the throne that raised you?
“Your party did this. Your royal father was the target. Your
Osogbo is bleeding. Silence is a choice. Make yours wisely.”
The governor said an attack on the Ataoja is an attack on
every son and daughter of Osogbo.
“Enough is enough. I call on the Inspector-General of Police
to act urgently. Desperate politicians must be exposed and disgraced,” he said.
‘I SURVIVED THE ATTACK’
The monarch spoke on Saturday at a gathering organised by
the Ajegunle Tradesmen and Artisans Group, where he endorsed Adeleke for a
second term.
He said the incident occurred on the same day one of his
sons, who chairs a political party in the state, was shot by gunmen.
“On that day, some gunmen shot my son, who is the head of a
political party in Osun. They also attacked me in the palace that same day. But
I survived the attack,” the monarch said.
“As I speak to you, with the consent of my governor and our
leaders, the culprit is now in remand in Ilesa. Since then, I have not stopped
praying. We shall continue to manage the issues.”
The monarch appealed to the warring parties in the state to
resolve their disputes through the ballot.
BACKGROUND
The development comes amid growing hostility between the
governor’s camp and the APC, which has intensified in recent weeks ahead of the
forthcoming election in the state.
On June 4, Asimiyu Ajibola, chairman of the Accord Party in
Osun, was shot by gunmen in Osogbo in what was described as an assassination
attempt.
On June 8, the party’s campaign council accused Adeleke of
deploying operatives of Amotekun to guard a family-owned business in Ondo.
The following day, the governor accused the party of
sponsoring political thugs to carry out coordinated attacks in parts of the
state and called on security agencies to intervene.
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