Some thugs who are members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) wearing the All Progressives Congress (APC) vests and loaded in five buses belonging to the APC, shooting gun sporadically, on Saturday, stormed the campaign rally venues of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Itaji Ekiti and Oye Ekiti, all in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
In a statement by Mr Jackson Adebayo, the Director of Media and Publicity of Segun Oni Campaign Organisation (SOCO) in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, the thugs allegedly sent by Mr Rotimi Olanbiwoninu a-k-a Mentilo, the Ekiti State Chairman of RTEAN, began to shoot as the SDP governorship candidate, Asiwaju Segun Oni, was addressing SDP members and supporters at Itaji town.
According to Adebayo, three SDP members were shot and terribly wounded in Itaji but luck ran out for one of the RTEAN thugs who missed the bus and was arrested by party supporters who handed him over to the police.
The SOCO spokesman said that it took mobile policemen and some soldiers on patrol about 30 minutes to bring the situation under control.
The unlucky thug confessed that they were sent by Mentilo and that he (Mentilo) was working for the Biodun Oyebamiji Campaign Organisation.
At Oye, said Adebayo, the RTEAN drivers allegedly shot three members of SDP who were waiting for the arrival of Oni who was due to address party supporters in the town, adding that the thugs entered their buses and fled on seeing the mobile policemen following the campaign convoy of SDP and the soldiers who were on patrol.
Notwithstanding the hullabaloo, at Itaji and Oye, the people trooped out to welcome Oni, promising to vote for him, adding that the APC thugs cannot intimidate or prevent them from coming out to vote on election day.
The SDP candidate was told to go and sleep as nothing can change their support and love for him.
The injured SDP members have been taken to the hospital while the matter was reported to the Commissioner of Police.
