The candidates of both the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party in the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Mr Eyitayo Jegede, respectively, have lambasted each other over the clash by their supporters at Odopetu, Akure, the state capital.
Akeredolu asked security agencies to caution the PDP and its supporters ahead of the governorship election, alleging that members of the APC and his supporters were being subjected to unprovoked attacks by hoodlums loyal to the governorship candidate of the PDP.
The governor, through the spokesman of his campaign organisation, Mr Richard Olabode, said members of the APC going about their personal routines were being attacked by the PDP thugs.
He said, “We warn the PDP not to take the political maturity of the APC and its candidate, Governor Akeredolu, for granted or be misconstrued as a sign of weakness. We are calling on the security agents to caution the PDP.”
However, the spokesman for the Eyitayo/Gboluga Campaign Organisation, Mr Gbenga Akinmoyo, said Akeredolu had wrongly accused the members of the PDP, saying some APC leaders had been threatening to cause violence in the state.
Akinmoyo said, “We take slight comfort in the fact that we may get some form of protection from security agents since they have been put on notice by this cry of wolf. While we continue to encourage our supporters to remain calm in the face of repeated provocation, we enjoin them to remain vigilant and stay safe.”