The leading political organisation in Osun State, Omoluabi Progressives, has raised the alarm over what it described as a coordinated plot to eliminate and assassinate former Minister of Interior and ex-Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
The group, in a statement signed by its spokesperson and organising secretary, Oluwaseun Abosede, on Saturday, alleged that recent threats and state-backed actions suggested a sinister agenda to silence the former minister under the guise of politics.
According to the group, the chain of events began on July 23rd when Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, allegedly declared at a rally in Yoruba, “Ilẹ o mú wọn” (the land will consume them), which it claimed was widely interpreted as a call for violence against Aregbesola.
It added that on 2 August, Presidential spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, amplified a veiled threat originally published by journalist, Mayor Akinpelu, suggesting that Aregbesola would “face consequences” for his political choices.
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The situation, the group further noted, worsened on 14 August when another journalist, Gbonka Ebiri, openly branded Aregbesola a “sell-out” and called for him to face the “wrath of Yorubaland.”
Omoluabi Progressives alleged that verbal threats had since degenerated into physical intimidation, citing the disruption of the African Democratic Congress rally in Sagamu, Ogun State, on 14 August, where Aregbesola was billed to campaign for the party’s House of Representatives bye-election candidate, Hon. Solomon Oluwaseyi Osho.
It said police operatives, backed by an Armoured Personnel Carrier, vandalised the venue, seized equipment and barred Aregbesola from accessing the event.
“These coordinated attacks, from inflammatory rhetoric to physical obstruction, represent nothing less than what analysts have described as the anatomy of assassination politics,” the group warned.
The statement also quoted the Coalition of Oodua Self-Determination Groups, led by Dayo Ogunlana, which condemned the threats in strong terms and cautioned against the descent into political violence in Yorubaland.
Omoluabi Progressives maintained that Aregbesola had committed no offence by pursuing an independent political path, insisting that his constitutional rights must be respected. It warned that any attempt to harm him would be resisted by the people.
“We call on well-meaning Nigerians to take note of the rhetoric by appointees and supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and urge security agencies to act before democracy is desecrated by intimidation and violence,” the group said.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
