Jide Ajani and Titilayo Odeyemi
10 July 2008
Abeokuta — MR. Gbenga Oduwaiye of Ijebu Central Federal Constituency of Ogun State, has described the alleged plan to assassinate the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Tunji Egbetokun, as cheap mischief.
He also noted that most of those who are opposed to Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State cannot fault him on performance and delivery of democracy dividends.
In an interview with journalists over the weekend, Oduwaiye maintained that Governor Daniel remains the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state.
According to him, "I am very sure Yomi Majekodunmi, the Chief of Staff, and definitely the governor, do not want to assassinate anybody. For what gain? The story is political sensationalism at its best!
"How can a man having a meeting with the Speaker in his bedroom intend to assassinate him with guns in the boot of his car; fully aware that the Speaker has security details? At what point would the attempt have been made?
"Would the Chief of Staff drag the Speaker to the car and then open the boot to bring out the gun and shoot him? Or would the alleged assassins simply open fire on the two of them as they approach? This is cheap!
"The Chief of Staff, who by the way, is a former managing director of a bank, a Ph.D. holder, has explained that he detoured to the Speaker's house for a chat, with his own security aides in tow, because they were on their way out of town."
Oduwaiye added: "Reports also showed that the security aides' vehicle was parked outside the vicinity of the Speaker's residence. In any case, the security agencies are carrying out their investigations."
Rep calls for truce
As tension continues to mount in the state, an appeal has gone to the warring parties to embrace peace.
Member of House of Representatives for Abeokuta North/Obafemi Owode/Odeda Federal Constituency, Mr. Kayode Amusan, made the plea in Lagos at the weekend while briefing journalists on the political development in the state.
According to him, politicians in the state should stop raising false alarms on assassination attempts and attacks, claiming that such false information will further increase tension and cause suspicious and insecurity in the state.
Reacting to an allegation made by a former member of House of Representative in a national newspaper that he (Amusan) was behind an attempt on his life, he described the report as baseless and untruth.
According to him, he had already written a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, the State Security Service, the Chief Justice of the federation and the Ogun State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the allegations.
"I don't want mischievous people to take the advantage of the crisis in the state to tarnish my reputation and credible political image. I can't imagine a politician who deliberately shot at his own gate to now making the rounds that a sponsored attack was carried out on him," he said.
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