By GBENGA OLARINOYE

OSOGBO — With just a few months to the next gubernatorial election in Osun state, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state have sharply disagreed on pre- election activities of both parties.

While the PDP faulted the activities of various campaign groups of governor Rauf Aregbesola, the state chapter of the APC also warned the opposition party against actions that could truncate the peace of the state.

The PDP in a statement  by its Publicity Secretary, Prince Bola Ajao described the formation of the various campaign groups by Aregbesola as attempts to cause violence in the state.

Ajao recalled the arrest of some indigenes of the state in Awka during the last Anambra state governorship election, saying that the same set of people who were arrested for electoral violence during Anambra gubernatorial poll form the Governor’s campaign groups.

He called on relevant security agencies to place the campaign groups which he listed as De Raufs, Aregbesola Victory Group, The Mandate Group, Oranmiyan Group and De Links on security watch.

According to him: “Latest was the arrest and on-going prosecution of 180 hoodlums from Osun State including notable officials of their state .”

But, the APC  reacting through its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi said: “The allegations are a smokescreen designed to divert attention from the PDP’s plans to cause mayhem in the state for one of its notorious aspirant’s desperation to become governor.”

His words: “However, we can say with confidence that one of the notorious aspirants of that party had once threatened violence against Governor Aregbesola, to stop his convoy and disarm Aregbesola’s security.

“But when he was told that if he tried, he would not live to tell the story, the coward denied saying so, until he was confronted with his recorded statement that silenced him.”

“So if there is any threat at all to security in the state, it is coming from the PDP, and its gang of terrorists rather than anyone else and they should be on the watch list of the security agencies in Osun state,” he added.