The Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State have lurked horns in arguments over the issue of insecurity in the state.
Just as the APC alleged that insecurity had been aggravated in the state since the commencement of the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration, the PDP claimed that the former was conservative with the truth.
The APC group, The Pacesetters Initiative, in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by Afeez Bolaji and Olawale Sadare, its Coordinator and acting Director of Organisation respectively, said, “Unofficial sources have it that Oyo State has emerged the most troubled state in the Southern part of the country regarding the astronomical rise in cases of armed banditry, kidnapping, hoodlum attacks, murder, extra judicial killings among others.
“We have watched with dismay how the current PDP administration has failed in the all-important task of securing the lives and property of the people. Things took a frightening dimension from the first day when Governor Makinde indicated his desire to set aside the programmes by his predecessor for no just reasons.
“In actual fact, insecurity did not creep into Oyo State naturally as it took its roots from Governor Makinde’s failure to study the system he inherited with a view to improving on it. He neither deemed it necessary to mobilise support from relevant stakeholders nor read a riot act to criminal elements not to heave a sigh of relief as Senator Abiola Ajimobi had left the saddle.
“The new governor did not only wait until criminal elements were able to regroup and regain confidence to continue their nefarious activities, he overtly and covertly encouraged hoodlums who he treats as friends of his administration.”
It listed fear of hoodlums! attacks, armed robbery, extra judicial killings, brigandage and other organised crimes as common features in the state, saying the governor should mend fences with all security agencies, whom it alleged, were disenchanted with the administration’s disposition.
However, the PDP in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Akeem Olatunji, made available to journalists on Sunday, said with the level of investment and support given to security agencies by Governor Makinde, the allegation holds no truth.
The statement read in parts, “The individuals who authored the said statement should have done their homework. Whatever security challenges they tried to blow beyond proportion are not peculiar to Oyo State but are indications of how the security architecture of the country has failed under President Muhammadu Buhari.
“It is clearly untrue that the security is getting worse in Oyo State. What is clear is that a few APC (members) have been trying all they could to wish Oyo State bad. While we do not want to insinuate that APC members and leaders are sponsoring hoodlums to disturb the peace of the state, the body language of the opposition and the fruitless attempts to pass the buck of insecurity in the entire country to Governor Makinde has sold them out as unpatriotic.”
