Yusuf Oketola
MR. Afolabi Ayorinde, a loyalist of the African Action Congress (AAC) Presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections and the convener of #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, was on Tuesday attacked and brutalised by some thugs over campaign posters in Osogbo, capital of the state of Osun.
Ayorinde, an indigene of Ikirun, was said to have been attacked by some thugs suspected to be followers of Asiri Eniba, at Igbona area of Osogbo, when he was going to Ikirun.
Asiri Eniba, whose real name is Kazeem Oyewale, is the Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oroki Branch, Osogbo.
The victim, according to report, was in Osogbo at the early hour of Tuesday to meet with the leadership of #TakeItBack and AAC for the collection of campaign posters, banners and other materials needed for Sowore’s campaign in Ikirun.
According to a press statement issued by the Osun Chapter of Take It Back Movement and signed by the Coordinator, Comrade Samson Tola, Ayorinde was dragged out of the commercial bus conveying him to Ikirun and was mercilessly beaten by the thugs.
The movement while condemning the act called on the Osun Police Command to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to book.
The statement which was made available to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday reads, “The Take It Back Movement, Osun State Chapter, decries the aggravated assault of one of Sowore For President campaigners, Mr Ayọ, at Osogbo while going back to his hometown Ìkìrun by some thugs loyal to one popular political thug, Àṣírí Ẹnibà. We equally call upon the police to arrest and prosecute the lawbreakers accordingly.
“The assaulted Ayọ came to Osogbo in the early morning of Tuesday to meet the leadership and members of Osun TIB/AAC for the collection of campaign materials like posters, banners and other needed materials for his domain in Ìkìrun. Immediately after he left, report came to us that Mr Ayo was attacked, dragged out and mercilessly beaten by touts while already in the bus conveying him back to Ìkìrun.
“We found out that some of his fellow passengers in the bus were asking him about the Sowore For President campaign posters he was carrying and he told them about it, not knowing that one of the passengers have made a telephone call to some individuals who later came and assaulted him at that spot.
“We want to reiterate our position that the law allows citizens to associate with and campaign for any political party or candidate of their choice devoid of undue interference.
“More importantly, we demand halt to state sponsored attacks on human and democratic rights of innocent citizens, electoral violence, and vote buying during elections.
“We demand arrest and prosecution of state-sponsored political thugs and call on Osun youths to desist from being used for electoral violence and other selfish purposes by corrupt politicians in the state”.
Ayorinde, while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER said he was able to recognise the hoodlums that attacked him as followers of Asiri Eniba because they have had series of encounters with them at the barricade.
All efforts to get reaction from Asiri Eniba proved abortive as his phone number was said to be switched off till press time.
