The Ogun State government on Monday denied any purported attack on a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Segun Sowunmi, at the premises of the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting at Isabo, Abeokuta, the state capital.
Reports of an alleged attack on Mr. Sowunmi have been trending on the social media, with accusing fingers being pointed at the state government and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
But, the state government, in a statement by the Permanent Secretary, PS, Ministry of Information, Mr. Waheed Adesina, denied the allegation that political thugs attacked the PDP chieftain, saying that nothing could be farther from the truth.
He averred that no such attack happened at the premises of the tribunal, which is been protected by a retinue of security personnel.
Explaining what happened, the PS said that some members of the public, who had attempted to gain entrance into the tribunal to observe its proceedings were prevented from doing so as the tribunal members ordered that the gate of the Magistrate Court be shut immediately sitting commenced.
The statement said a large number of APC and PDP supporters, including other neutral observers, who had arrived the venue late were affected.
According to the PS, Mr. Sowunmi later came and mounted pressure on the security agents at the gate to allow him access, after identifying himself as a stakeholder.
The attempt to open the gate for him angered the crowd outside, which resulted in a mild protest and resistance to the move as the people felt he should not enjoy any preferential treatment.
According to the statement, the protest has no political colouration as it was spontaneous and carried out by all those outside the premises of the tribunal, including the PDP and APC members and the general public, who felt that they are also important as well as stakeholders in the state.
The statement warned against the spread of fake and unsubstantiated stories that could plunge the state into political quagmire.
