Photo-- Trouble In Osun As Soldiers, Policemen Take Over Aregbesola’s Rally Venue

Latest reports emerging from Osun State, western Nigeria, suggest that men of the‎ Nigerian Army and mobile policemen on Wednesday, 6 August, 2014, took over‎ venue of a rally organised by workers in Osun state to show support for the re-election of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.


According to a report published by P.M NEWS, stern and gun-wielding security operatives stormed the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, venue of the pro Aregbesola rally, as early as 7am today and disrupted activities planned ahead of the rally.
“Stern and gun-wielding security agents stopped those who had arrived the venue to decorate it ahead of the programme slated for 10:00 a.m. this morning,”‎ said Kunle Oyatomi, Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy for the APC in Osun.

He said no reason has been given for the unlawful occupation of the venue of the event, and “the APC Osun Chapter seriously condemns the closure of the democratic space against the people of State.”
Oyatomi added that more worrisome is the concealment of the identities of the supposed security agents some of whom wore masks and threatened to shoot those who had arrived early for the programme.
It would be recalled that the APC had kicked against the deployment of armed soldiers to Osun state ahead of the governorship election in the state scheduled to hold on 9 August, 2014.
The spokesman of the party, Lai Mohammed, had said in a statement that the deployment of the security agents to Osun was an attempt by the PDP to intimidate the people of Osun in order for the opposition party in the state to rig the gubernatorial election.
The PDP, through President Goodluck Jonathan when he visited Osun, has since reacted to the allegation saying the deployment of armed soldiers to Osun is to ensure that there is free and fair election in the state.
The president also added that the federal government could not afford to close his eyes and allow the people of Osun to be terrorised before, during and after the governorship election on Saturday.
Political analysts are already saying the Osun election would be a contest between APC’s candidate, Governor Aregbesola, and PDP’s Senator Iyiola Omisore.