A former governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Segun Showunmi, on Monday called on the President of Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, to relocate the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to Abuja over alleged security threat.
Daily Trust had reported how Showunmi and other PDP supporters were flogged by some thugs welding sticks, as the Election Petition Tribunal began its sitting in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The Tribunal began its inaugural sitting amid tension and watertight security.
The Tribunal sitting commenced hearing of the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, against Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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The road leading to the venue within Magistrates’Court premises at Isabo, was cordoned off by a combined team of security operatives.
Some of the thugs were seen holding canes as a minor clash broke out between supporters of two major political parties – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It took the intervention of fully armed security operatives, comprising the police, DSS and Civil Defense who dispersed the thugs before peace could be restored.
The security operatives also prevented political supporters from entering into the premises of the court.
Political thugs roamed about with canes in their hands while the security agents watch without arresting or stopping them from causing chaos.
Showunmi arrived at the Court’s gate into when the thugs believed to be loyal to APC were on ground.
They pounced on Showunmi with sticks before he escaped by the whiskers.
Addressing newsmen after the incident, Showunmi admitted that he was attacked, saying he escaped with the scars.
Showunmi said some of his supporters were receiving treatment at the hospital following the attacks.
He expressed worry that thuggery and hooliganism had been “re-introduced to Ogun Politics.”
Showunmi said with the attacks on PDP supporters during the inaugural sitting, it’s unsafe for the election court to continue the hearing in Abeokuta.
He said “Our position is that, the President of the court of appeal in his wisdom should please relocate Ogun State Election Tribunal from Abeokuta because it is no longer safe, so that we can go and have that Tribunal in the peaceful atmosphere of Abuja and everybody can have the case adjudicated and we can deal with the outcome of the court cases.
“The second thing is that, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should put a leash on Dapo Abiodun before he gets us to implode this State for him. For how long are you going to be pushing us back before we react? It is democracy and we have the right to stand for election, to expect that the election will be free and fair, to go through the process of Tribunal, to go to court when our cases are being called without being attacked.
“We have been putting in a lot of work to beg our people not to resort to reprisal. Governor Dapo Abiodun, call your people to order! This is totally unacceptable, this is not the Ogun State we know, this is not the Ogun State we have lived in, this is not the Ogun State of our future. Go and find out who is responsible, they have done it in your name and you have a duty and responsibility to call them to order and make sure that we can live, we can sleep here and we can be safe here.
“It is a very ugly day of shame, it is a day that no body in his right senses who is a true born of Ogun State will be proud of this. Some of my followers are in the hospital as we speak attending to their injury. Luckily, I was able to get away from the place, but it was not without its own scars.”
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