The Ekiti State chapters of the All Progressives Congress and that of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have traded words over the alleged attack on former Governor Ayodele Fayose.
The PDP alleged that that the ruling party was behind the attack on the former governor – an allegation APC swiftly denied.
The PDP made the allegations in a statement on Sunday by its chairman, Gboyega Oguntuase.
He alleged that some hoodlums loyal to the party on Friday attacked Fayose in an attempt to kill him.
Oguntuase said intimidation and harassment of opposition have been the hallmark of APC, saying hiring thug to silent opposition was obviously the next level in advancing violence in a supposed democratic period.
He said: “Government is transient. To underscore the reality of this statement, the Zik of Africa, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, said: ‘No condition is permanent’. The major lesson in the statement is for rulers to beware of what they do. Those who sow wind reap the whirlwind.
“We must note that a man so consumed and corrupted by power today will by tomorrow become an ordinary man.
“It is an irony that leaders, who in obedience to a summon by a legislative body, can be ambushed shortly after the visit to be harassed and threatened with dangerous weapons.
“We don’t deserve it because nobody harassed the opposition under our watch.
But, the APC Deputy Chairman, Sola Elesin, dismissed the PDP’s allegation, describing it as a spurious and baseless accusation lacking content of validity.
Elesin said the opposition party is economical with the truth, saying violence is not one of the ideals of the APC.
The APC vice Chairman countered the opposition party, saying it is a well-known fact that nobody attacked Fayose, but he “only wants to use it to lay a foundation of violence because they thrive in violence”.
“Nobody attacked him. He went on a surprise visit to the House of Assembly, when he has not been officially invited. It is a blatant lie.
“He came to the House and was not harassed, but to hear now that he was attacked by APC is an embarrassment to us. It has not happened in the history of progressive governance in the state to harass or intimidate political opponents.
“We have not done that in the past and we are not ready to do it anytime. If he is saying he has been attacked, it will be tantamount to falsehood.
“Nobody attacked him and if anybody attacked him, he is on his own. It was done not at the premises of the Assembly. He said he has street credibility, if that is true, would he be harassed at the market place?” he queried.
The Assembly had at its plenary session last Thursday summoned Fayose to appear before its committee on Public Account over alleged misappropriation of local government funds while in office without fixed date.
The ex-governor stormed the Assembly on Friday at about1:15 pm less than 24 four hours after the summon and went straight to the office of Speaker Funminiyi Afuye.
But the speaker told him to go back and await the official invitation letter from the legislative chamber.
Fayose alleged that he narrowly escaped being attacked after he left the Assembly as some APC thugs in an unmarked black Hilux Jeep trailed and hauled stones at his vehicle.