February 9, 2009
The Labour Party (LP) on Sunday alerted on plans by the embattled Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Agagu to, beginning from this week, cause a large scale violence in the State in his desperation to force the Appeal Court to give him a favourable verdict. It equally alleged that Agagu had imported into the State hired killers who are presently quartered in all parts of the State and are to be used to clamp down on LP members and their sympathizers.
LP in a release issued in Akure by its Director of Press, Research and Strategy, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, alleged that Dr Agagu at the monthly Caucus meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)held at the Government House Grounds on Saturday berated his lieutenants for their lukewarm attitude towards the case at the Appeal Court sitting in Benin, Edo State where he has gone to seek redress against the judgement of the Election Petitions Tribunal which nullified his election and declared Dr Olusegun Mimiko of the LP as the duly elected Governor of Ondo State. He charged them to commence with immediate effect a large scale violence that would keep the State on edge.
“Dr Olusegun Agagu was beside himself with rage as he heckled and berated his lieutenants for not doing enough to help his case leaving him all alone to gallivant all over the nation in search of what he termed a ‘political solution’ to the case. Our source told us that Agagu even singled out one of his Commissioner, widely known to be nursing the ambition of succeeding him for special tongue-lashing. In unambiguous language, Agagu incited his followers to route the opposition by all means, saying that this was the only way to force the Judiciary to do a re-think,” Olabisi disclosed.
The LP spokesman equally revealed that after the meeting on Saturday night, some of Agagu men converged at a little house close to the Tennis Court inside the Government House where money, guns and ammunitions were shared out to some of the hack men by one of Agagu’s aides who is a retired military officer with instructions to be ready to strike whenever the green light is given.
While calling on all security agencies in the State as well as the Presidency to be aware of imminent break down of law and order as well as the clampdown on opposition in the State, with a view to stopping this dastardly act by a desperate governor who had been judicially sacked but who could not wait for the outcome of his appeal, the LP equally reminded the whole nation of events in recent weeks in which a frustrated Agagu and his minions have consistently blamed Dr Mimiko of being behind its woes in the hands of both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the ICPC which had beamed its searchlights on his government activities in recent times.
Says Olabisi: “Only last week, in a pre-emptive move, the Agagu government went to town with the insinuations that we in the LP have seen the judgement of the Appeal Court and accused us of forming a parallel government. This is another of their stock in trade which they have become known for. Only last year, in the case of Olusola Oke vs Hosea Ehinlanwo concerning the validly elected Senator representing the Ondo South Senatorial District, fearing that their man, Olusola Oke was on the verge of losing at the Supreme Court, Agagu men called the press and alleged that the Judges had leaked the verdict to supporters of Ehinlanwo who they alleged were already celebrating. This is another cry by losers and by the grace of God they will lose again.
“We have equally alerted on the importation arms and ammunition into the State by the Dr Olusegun Agagu government with the aim of unleashing a fresh wave of violence on then State in case it loses at the Court of Appeal, Benin sitting on the appeal filed by Dr Agagu against the judgement of the Justice Garba Nabaruma-led election Petitions Tribunal which nullified his purported victory at the April 14, 2007 governorship election.
Specifically, LP disclosed that hired assassin had been brought to the State by the embattled Governor and lodged at the VIP Chalet located within the precincts of the Governor’s Office lately vacated by his Legal team from where they would be deployed to various part of the State to hit prominent LP chieftains.
His words: “some days ago, the Olusegun Agagu led-PDP government in Ondo State in a pre-emptive move of what it intend to do, raised a false alarm that the LP was planning to cause trouble in the state, but the truth is that, like he did shortly before the April 14, 2007 election, Agagu has not only brought in lots of sophisticated weapons, he has also brought in trained killers to hit our people in case he loses at the Appeal Court, a development which is most likely.
“In Ondo town, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, our Flag bearer’s home town, his name is on the list of those to be hit alongside other leaders and their business premises. We are therefore using this medium to appeal to Mr. President, Alhaji Umar Musa Yar’Adua, the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to call Agagu to order, we don’t want violence and blood letting in Ondo State any more. The security agencies in Ondo State too should be aware of this latest move by Agagu to cause mayhem, Olabisi pleaded.
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