ACN Condemns Murder of Oshiomhole's Private Secretary
IBADAN, May 04, THEWILL) - The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has condemned the assassination of the principal private secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, saying it raises lots of questions, coming shortly after the yet-to-be-resolved ramming of the governor's convoy by a tipper truck in a tragedy that resulted in the death of three journalists and a driver.
In a statement issued in Ibadan on Friday by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party described the killing of Comrade Oyerinde as another indication of the growing state of anarchy across the country, to which the PDP-federal government has no answer.
if someone as close to the governor as his private secretary can be so mindlessly killed in cold blood shortly after what now seems to be a failed attempt on the governor's life, one cannot but be concerned about the safety of the governor himself, it noted.
“Yes, there may not yet be any conclusive evidence linking anyone to these incidents, but there is a growing concern that they may not be unconnected with the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state, especially considering the desperation of the PDP to 'reclaim' the state at all costs,” the statement observed.
“But we are bound to ask: must everyone be killed and Edo state thrown into anarchy just because PDP wants to rule the state at all costs? If PDP is as popular in Edo state as it claims, why is it afraid of contesting a free and fair election in July? Or has PDP just realised that since Gov. Oshiomhole's sterling performance
has all but guaranteed his re-election, the only way to return to the state house is by playing dirty?”
The party said its concerns and suspicions on the spate of attacks directed at the governor stemmed from the country’s history of failure to resolve high-profile assassinations in the country — a pointer to the fact that such killings might not have been mere happenstance.
“Take the case of Chief Bola Ige who, as a sitting Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, was so easily mowed down and yet the killers have not been brought to justice. Isn't it clear that the only reason the assassination has yet to be resolved is the calibre of those who may have orchestrated the killing?” ACN queried.
“Then, of course, the assassinations of Harry Marshall, Aminasoari Dikibo and Funsho Williams, just to name a few, have remained unresolved many years on. This is why we are compelled to cry out now, to warn those who are seemingly targeting Gov. Oshiomhole to desist. After all, there is no indication yet that the 'nest of killers' has been dismantled.”