From Kehinde Adewole
Enraged by Wednesday’s assault on immediate past Govenor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, a stalwart of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former Governoship aspirant in Ekiti State, Dr. Gboyega Ayenimo has warned the alleged sponsors of the attack to beware of starting a war that would eventually consume them politically.
A sudden attack on Fayose by hoodlums who removed his cap had drew the ire of a crowd of supporters at the PDP governoship campaign rally held in Ondo on Wednesday. Reacting to the attack, Fayose, in a statement by his spokesman, Lere Olayinka, had accused incumbent Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde and PDP leader in Lagos, Bode George of being sponsors of the attack, adding that his recent criticism of the duo of Makinde and George over their alleged over-bearing handling of party affairs and inactivity in the South West must have made them sponsor such evil attack on him.
Ayenimo, who went down memory lane to remind the world and Yoruba nation in particular that the same cap removal attack was once meted out on one of Yoruba foremost leaders, late Chief Bola Ige, before he was later assassinated, warned that such awful development would spell political doom for sponsors and bring shame to the image of PDP in general.
The ex-governorship aspirant also expressed disappointment with the fact that the national body has yet to make statement on the development let alone security agencies doing their best to unravel the identity of the perpetrators and bring them to bring book.
Ayenimo said: “The sudden attack on one of the foremost leaders of our great party, PDP while he was making his way to the podium at the campaign rally for the forthcoming governoship poll in Ondo State on Wednesday is highly condemnable and signals very dangerous development in our polity.
While one is most pleased with the fact that the despicable act had drew public ire as exemplified by the outcry by the teeming crowd who witnessed it, it is worrisome that the security agencies are yet to fish out those misguided miscreants who were sponsored to attempt to ridicule Chief Fayose.
Chief Fayose remains our leader both at the state level, region and also one of the foremost leaders of PDP. He is a man of uncommon achievements in politics. Nigerians and many in the world love him and that is why his distractors are more pained. He is a fearless, truthful and courageous leader who never shines away from saying the truth not caring whose ox is gored.
We therefore warn those planning against him to beware, so they would not be consumed in the process. A word is enough for the wise.
We also charge the security agencies to rise to their responsibility by ensuring that Fayose’s attackers on Wednesday are brought to justice. We equally urge our great party to ensure that those who attempted to ridicule Fayose are duly punished to séve as deterhent to others,” he said.
Speaking further, Ayenimo advised the Yoruba nation on the need to discard disunity and encourage progress, development and oneness, saying: ” We must shun acrimony so that we can jointly build a stronger sub national entity that will continue to take it’s place of pride in the country, ” he said.”
