Osun govt, APC trade words over market women tussle

The Osun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has dissociated itself from the crisis rocking the market women association in the State.

The party declared that neither the State Governor nor his officials were involved in the alleged invasion of Alhaja Hawawu Asindemade residence, the Iyaloja General of the State and Iyalode of Osogbo land.

In a statement signed by Akindele Adekunle, the Osun PDP caretaker chairman on Sunday, the party accused the opposition of raising false alarm and launching unnecessary attacks against the State government.

Adekunle also accused the APC of seeking sympathy for its unpopular presidential candidate.

“Worried by the increasing unpopularity of its presidential candidate and the soaring acceptability of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the APC is holding unto straws, pushing to tag union power tussle as an action from the State government. This is a failed endeavour as even the APC admitted that those involved in the alleged attacks were thugs among others.

“We have been reading of infighting within the market association for some time now and how any responsible party will link that to a state government is still a puzzle. Neither the PDP nor its Governor is a party to the disagreement within non-governmental organisations. APC should know and more clearly too that lies and falsehood can’t save the party from defeat on February 25.

“Osun people voted massively for Governor Adeleke on July 16th 2022 and they will do the same for Alhaji Abubakar and all PDP candidates from February 25. The Governor has strengthened the confidence reposed in him by the people of Osun State,” he stated.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) had in a statement on Sunday alleged that Governor Adeleke ordered the forceful withdrawal of all the official vehicles from the Iyalojas (market women) in all the 30 local government council areas of the State and the Area Office, Modakeke.

The APC in a statement signed by its Acting Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal on Sunday, while describing the alleged government’s action as vindictive, wicked and inconsiderate, disclosed that the vehicles were withdrawn from the women market leaders through some ‘hard men’ who were accompanied by some battle-ready police officers in a Gestapo-like manner.

“It was learnt that the three official vehicles attached to the Office of the Iyaloja-General of Osun State, Alhaja Asindemade, were forcefully taken away from her Kolabalogun residence area of Osogbo on Friday with a team of government officials numbering fifteen, comprising fully-armed police officers, thugs and State government officials.

“The vehicles were taken away from Asindemade’s house, while the third one was towed from the mechanic’s workshop where it was undergoing repairs,” he claimed