One of the governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, Wale Akinterinwa, has called on the state Commissioner of Police and director of State Security Services to tackle the continued destruction of his campaign billboards. 

This came barely a week after the APC governorship aspirant raised a similar concern over his campaign billboards destroyed by suspected political thugs across the major towns in the state. 

In a statement on Monday, Mr Akinterinwa complained over fresh destruction of campaign billboards and property belonging to other governorship aspirants in the state. 

In the copy of the statement signed by Segun Ajiboye, the spokesperson for his campaign organisation, Mr Akinterinwa accused suspected thugs believed to be loyal to governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as responsible for the act.  

“The thugs of O’datiwa, the armed wing of the Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation, were again unleashed on the hapless citizens in Ore, Odigbo local government area of the state. During the attack, the thugs destroyed a large billboard of Wale Akinterinwa. 

“It is regrettable that despite our calls to the police and the DSS to ensure the safety of supporters of other aspirants and their property across the state, the one-sided attacks and destruction have continued.  We are, therefore, using this latest opportunity to call on the commissioner of police and the director of state security service in Ondo State to be proactive and put measures in place to forestall any further attack on the people by thugs working for Governor Aiyedatiwa,” a copy of the statement obtained by Peoples Gazette read.  

Mr Akinterinwa noted that the actions of Governor Aiyedatiwa and his alleged thugs had been dragging the name of the party in the mud, stressing that the other political parties stand firm and mock the “follies” going on the APC. 

He, however, asked the leaders of the APC in the state and at the national level to call Mr Aiyedatiwa to order before he destroyed the party in the state. 

But in his reaction, Mr Aiyedatiwa wondered why he’s always attacked by Mr Akinterinwa despite the fact that there were other aspirants interested in contesting the party’s ticket in the coming primary. 

The governor, in the reaction signed by the spokesperson for his campaign organisation, Kayode Fasua, asked Mr Akinterinwa to prove that the thugs he was referring to were working for him. 

“There are at least six governorship aspirants from the southern senatorial district, apart from Wale Akinterinwa. How come Akinterinwa’s lackeys, either as directed or deliberately, see Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as a muted punching bag?  For the umpteenth time in their clueless attempts to disparage the irresistible popularity of the governor, they have been cooking up steaming-hot allegations that they are unable to substantiate. The fact of the matter remains that we require evidence to prove that their fathomed thugs who are better conjectured as goblins or gnomes, are from Aiyedatiwa. 

“They are as unserious as their allegation. Any thug spotted destroying their billboards should be reported to the police, rather than distract a hardworking governor,” he said.