The Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation on Thursday cried out over fresh massive destruction and removal of the billboards, street hoardings and banners by men of the Ondo State Signage Agency (OSSA) and called on security agents in the state and the people to come to its rescue.
In a statement in Akure, the Chairman of Media and Publicity of the Campaign Organization, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, lamented that a sitting government could descend so low to destroy its election materials leaving that of its own candidates intact, despite having made all the necessary financial obligations to the state government.
According to Olabisi, “We are crying out to the people of Ondo State to be aware of this renewed onslaught against our candidate, Chief Olusola Oke. Only on Monday, this week, there was a similar destruction of our billboards immediately after we had our unprecedented flag-off rally carried out. Many of the boards were defaced, pushed down and broken to pieces in the full glare of all by government agents ostensibly because they are afraid of our imminent success at the polls.
“We have made all the necessary financial obligations to the State Government and if they have additional bills to be paid, we have not been notified by OSSA of any such indebtedness. Thus, we are amazed by this clamp down on us and willful damage of our boards by the State Government agents.
“The Chairman of the Agency, Mr. Remi Ofakunrin when contacted on phone stated that he was acting based on instructions from above and directed us to his boss, the governor, if we want him to stop his men from further destroying our boards.
“This is part of a grand plot to throw the state into crisis thereby falling into their trap of creating a semblance of insecurity and breach of peace. The State Government has of recent been the author of sponsored mayhem in the state with the ulterior motive of getting the election postponed for their selfish motives.
“We are appealing to the security agents in the state to come to our rescue. We are being trampled on, abused and harassed on a daily basis by agents of the state government because of the soaring popularity of our candidate, Chief Olusola Oke. But on our own, we have refrained and we shall continue to refrain from retaliating as we are peace loving.
“The Election of next week must hold and nobody, however highly placed, must be allowed to thwart the massive desire of the masses who yearn by attempting to scuttle the election under whatever guise,” Olabisi pleaded.
