The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has condemned the reported
assassination of the Principal Private Secretary to Gov. Adams
Oshiomhole of Edo State, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, saying it raises a
lot of questions, especially coming shortly after the
yet-to-be-resolved ramming of the Governor’s convoy by a tipper truck
that claimed the lives of three journalists and a driver.
In a statement issued in Ibadan on Friday by its National Publicity
Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the killing of Comrade
Oyerinde is also another indication of the growing state of anarchy across the country, to which the PDP-federal government has no answer.
It said 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 when the truck
rammed his convoy, one cannot but be concerned about the safety of the
Governor himself.
”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.
”But we are bound to ask: Must everyone be killed and Edo state
thrown into anarchy just because the PDP wants to rule the state at
all costs? If the 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 the
PDP just realized that since Gov. Oshiomhole’s sterling performance
has all but guaranteed his re-election, the only way the party (PDP)
can return to the state house is by playing dirty?” ACN queried.
The party said its concerns and suspicions on the spate of attacks
directed at the Governor stemmed from the fact that many high profile
assassinations in the country have remained unresolved – a pointer to
the fact that such killings might not have been due to 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
because of the calibre of those who may have orchestrated the killing?
”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,” ACN said.
The party said it is becoming increasingly clear to the PDP that it
will be hard for it to win any fresh election, considering the
worsening insecurity of lives and property in the country, the rising
unemployment and the mindless looting of the national treasury under
the party’s watch, and the cluelessness of those in charge of the
country’s affairs.
”This may explain the resort to acts of desperation by the PDP,” it said.
