The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Seyi Makinde and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being responsible for a renewed wave of political violence in the state, stating that residents across the state deserve peace as they look forward to what the party described as a post-PDP era from May 29, 2027.
Tension reportedly gripped parts of the state on Saturday when factions of the ruling PDP clashed violently over the alleged conduct of another Local Government Area Congress. The development highlighted the deepening internal crisis within the party, which has been grappling with divisions in recent times.
In a statement issued at the weekend in Ibadan by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the Oyo APC expressed concern that Governor Makinde was compounding the worries of residents by allegedly encouraging threats and violent attacks among members of his party, even as the administration had yet to effectively tackle security challenges such as banditry and kidnappings.
“The minds of many citizens were cast back to the days of political violence and unrest on Saturday when they witnessed how sponsored thugs and other criminal elements unleashed terror on PDP members who were opposed to the reported high-handedness and egocentric leadership style of Gov. Makinde. They demonstrated this by organizing a separate Ward Congress which was disrupted by some hoodlums as reported in Ibarapa North, Iseyin, Ibadan North East, Ibadan North and many other local government area chapters of the party.
“We recalled that the same set of hoodlums and their now out-of-favour leader, who is currently behind bars on the order of his estranged godfather, were responsible for series of attacks meted out to the leaders and members of the APC during the electioneering period of the last general elections. This time, it was brothers against brothers since a faction must overrun the other in order to control party structures.
“While some sponsored thugs were moving round the venues of the supposed Local Government Area Congress to disrupt the exercise, an army of vicious hoodlums was mobilized and made to visit the Ibadan home of a chieftain of the party where they destroyed many cars and properties which cost was put at several billion of naira as they also inflicted varying degree of injuries on men and women who were believed to be loyal to the Nyesom Wike faction.
“While this development remain condemned, we urge Gov. Makinde to have a rethink and learn to employ dialogue as a potent tool in resolving disputes and not violence or confrontation. However, we use this medium to call on the security agencies to investigate the development with a view to unmasking the attackers and their sponsors as we cannot afford to go back to the era of full scale political war in the hands of the PDP elements in the state.” Sadare added.
Political tensions within the PDP in Oyo State have intensified in recent months amid factional disagreements over party leadership and control of structures ahead of future elections. Observers note that internal disputes within ruling parties at the state level have historically triggered confrontations during congresses and political gatherings, prompting repeated calls for security agencies to maintain order and prevent escalation.
