Attack on Lasun Yusuf’s residence: Ploy To Blackmail Oyetola – Omipidan

…says former lawmaker no threat to his boss’ re-election

The Chief Press Secretary to Osun State governor, Mr. Ismail Omipidan says the alleged attack on the resident of former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuf in ilobu, is an attempt to blackmail governor Gboyega Oyetola.

Hon. Yusuf had alleged that the attack on his house was carried out by some political thugs working for the ruling party in the State.

The attack was said to have been carried out around 2am, the night that a governorship debate anchored by Channels Television was held in Osogbo, the State capital.

In a reaction, Mr. Omipidan said it was a ploy to portay the governor in a bad light and create an atmosphere of tension which does not exist in the State.

He wondered how it would be possible to attack the house of the personality of a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives with security details without any form of resistance.

Omipidan said Lasun Yusuf who is the governorship candidate of Labour Party does not in any way pose a threat to the victory of his principal in the July 16 governorship election in the State.

According to him, the Labour Party candidate was just trying to build something on nothing. He said the claim is a political gimmick that cannot in any way hold water in the face of reality.

Omipidan challenged the erstwhile lawmaker to prove his allegation against the person and government of Oyetola, saying no amount of propaganda can stop the moving train of Governor Oyetola from coasting to victory come July 16 governorship election in the State.

“The gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party, Hon. Lasun Yusuf, alleged that some gunmen whom he suspected to be the supporters of our Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, the governorship candidate of our party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, attacked his residence.

“The first question that came to mind was, “Where were his security details when the incident happened?”

“I am aware that as a former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, he has security men around him.

“I am also aware that some of the security men attached to his house usually harass people in the day time. So, I wonder where they were from 1:00am to 2:30am when the attack was carried out.

“If indeed there was an attack, was there any attempt to repel the attack? Where were the security operatives? In any case, Hon. Lasun Yusuf, with all due respect and responsibility, is not a threat to our candidate, Governor Oyetola. This is a man that contested governorship primary election with our candidate a few months ago and couldn’t win Irepodun Local Government where he comes from. I wonder how somebody who couldn’t win a Local Government suddenly becomes a threat to our governorship candidate.

“From all indications, I see this spurious claim as a calculated attempt not only to blackmail the government but also to dent the image of the Governor and present a wrong picture to unsuspecting Nigerians outside the State.

“I am sure that as journalists who have been covering elections long before now, you know that if indeed there is tension in Osun, it is something you will not only see but feel. You will agree with me that less than seven days to the election, there is no anxiety or tension anywhere.

“The picture that Hon. Lasun Yusuf is trying to paint is very unfortunate because Osun remains the most peaceful State in Nigeria and we will do everything humanly possible as a government to protect the enviable status.

Omipidan however called on security agencies to investigate and get to the root of the incident.

“On behalf of the government, we are calling on the security agencies to investigate the allegation of attack because I am tempted to believe that Hon. Lasun Yusuf is planning to unleash violence on the people of Irepodun on the day of the election and is therefore using this as an excuse to prepare the grounds for his premeditated plan.

“If in the face of obvious provocation by the PDP, the major opposition in the State, who has been attacking our offices, damaging the billboards of our candidate and has come out in the open to say they are ready for fire-for-fire, we have not thought it wise to dignify them with a reprisal; if, in the face of a follow-up to that threat, a PDP candidate who is running for Osun West Senatorial District has also charged the PDP to look for cutlasses, axes, and stones to attack members of APC and we have only toed the path of the law to ask the security agencies to take them up on the satanic pronouncement, is it a feather weight opponent that we will be attacking? Hon. Lasun Yusuf’s allegation obviously flies in the face of logic.

“Lasun Yusuf should stop painting a false picture. We know how he boasted that he would win the primary election and eventually lost woefully. Maybe he is already preparing excuses for his predictable loss in the forthcoming governorship election because by the grace of God, our candidate, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, will coast to victory and win the July 16 governorship election in the State”, Omipidan said.