By Gbenga Olarinoye

The All Progressives Congress in Osun State has denied sponsoring hoodlums to attack the campaign train of Chief Ademola Adeleke.

Dr. Ademola Adeleke

Adeleke is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the forthcoming Osun West Senatorial District by-election in the state.

The party was reacting to a claim by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that it (APC) mastermin-ded the attack on Adeleke at Gbongan in Ayedaade Local Govern-ment Area of the state.

Secretary of the APC in Osun State, Alhaji Rasak Salinsile in a statement yesterday, said his party knew nothing about the attack.

According to him, the APC was not known for violence or brigandage, stressing that those arrested in connection with the attack should be handed over to the police.

He said: “The allegation against our party is not true. The APC is not given to thuggery nor brigandage. We are known for peace and we resolve issues by dialogue and not by violence.

“The allegation is a calculated attempt to smear our image but we are not deterred. We dwell on issues because our campaigns are issue-based. We tell people what they will gain by voting for our candidate and we don’t use abusive words. We are different.

“The PDP is known for spurious allegations and their stock in trade is violence. We are focusing on victory because our candidate has won the election before and he is ready to win and represent his constituents very well again.”

 My pedigree will earn me victory – Hussain

Meantime, a few days to the by-election, the flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Mudashir Hussain has expressed strong conviction that his pedigree would earn him victory in the July 8 poll.

Hussein said his political antecedents, pedigree and wide experience were enough to floor his opponent, Otunba Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democracy Party, who is the younger brother of the late occupier of that seat, Senator Isiaka Adeleke.

Hussain, in a statement by his Media aide, Kamil Opeyemi described his opponent as an inexperienced politician whose campaign “is just based on leveraging on the antecedents of a brother.”

The Ejigbo-born politician stated that the PDP candidate is just a political follower who is not full bred to take up the challenges of an office like that of a Senator.