Suspected political thugs attacked one Pa Emmanuel Bejide, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the weekend in his residence at Gburu area of Ilesa, Osun State .
Giving account of the incident during a telephone chat yesterday, Bejide, who, after the attack, was left with broken arm and head injuries, said he was in his house, watching some programmes of President Muhammadu Buhari's inauguration, when he heard noise from his dog and quickly rushed out.
He said seven heavily armed men immediately pounced on him, and started beating him with iron rod and other dangerous objects.
Bejide added that his attackers when beating him, said he should have followed former President Jonathan to Bayelsa, adding that “at that point, I started begging them to leave me alone. I was still in my night dress because it was early in the morning.
“When I realised they meant business, I begged them to follow me to a friend called Alowonle, who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and have a shop near my house, and they agreed.
“I was very fortunate, we met Alowonle in his shop and he recognised those boys and started begging them also. They insisted that I must be killed, because I am in the opposition party. But Alowonle, when he realised those boys would carry out that treat, immediately called the Ijamo Police Station and they responded immediately.”
Before the policemen could arrive the scene, Bejide, who is the PDP chairman for Ward 8, Ilesa East Local Government Area, had already been injured by the attackers.
Meanwhile, party leaders in Ijesaland have been commenting on the incident, condemning any form of violent attack under whatever guise.
PDP senatorial candidate for Osun Central in last National Assembly poll, Chief Francis Fadahunshi, in a statement he personally signed, and made available to newsmen in Osogbo, urged Governor Rauf Aregbesola and other APC leaders in the area to prevail on members of the party to stop attack on members of other parties.
He said: “All of us cannot belong to one party and as such, being in opposing parties should not make people enemies. The party in government must ensure security of every one of us is guaranteed.”
Also, an APC chieftain from Ilesa East council area, who simply identified himself as Johnson Ojo, said those that carried out the attack should be apprehended and dealt with according to the law.
He said: “APC has not commissioned any thug to be attacking members of opposition party and our governor, Ogbeni Aregbesola is peace loving and will never tolerate act of hooliganism, so anyone disturbing the public peace should be arrested and prosecuted.”