Former Governor of Ekiti State, Engr Segun Oni, has revealed that hoodlums, who attacked him and his supporters Wednesday evening, as reported by a section of the Nigerian press, are well known at Efon Alaaye, in the Efon Local Government Area of the State.
Oni, who is Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, for the 2022 governorship election in Ekiti State, said Thursday during a meeting in Lagos that he had successfully held consultative meetings at nine local government areas in Ekiti until the 10th consultative meeting was disrupted by the thugs.
He said, “They attacked us, they didn’t even allow us to hold the town hall meeting that we came for and those who attacked us are hoodlums that are known and who reside in the town.
“We were not there yet; my supporters and I were trekking together to the venue, we were almost there when they started attacking, shooting and throwing bottles at us right on the street in the daytime.
“So, we withdrew, we understood that the best the police would do to protect us in such a situation was to shoot into the air and the thugs also know that police don’t do more than that.
“We leave our defences in the hands of the police that will only shoot into the air, it is frustrating and this frustration, I hope one day will not compel anarchy. I think that model should be deeply studied by the police to get the safe position that the police should take in such circumstances.”
Going down memory lane, Oni said when he contested the governorship of Ekiti State in 2007, there was no result from Efon, adding that masked political thugs burnt ballot boxes, and disrupted elections with machetes and guns.
He added, “The violence then, I can say comfortably, was the creation of a political party, and ordinarily, they couldn’t do enough to win. I still won in 2007. It is people that confer popularity; it is not what any teacher or master will teach, we thank God.”
