The All Progressives Congress member representing Osun West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Adelere Oriolowo, tells why hoodlums attacked him in Osun State recently and the alleged rift between Governor Gboyega Oyetola and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, among other issues
Some reports stated that you were attacked by some of your party members (The APC) in Ikire during a political meeting but your social media handlers claimed that the attackers were suspected assassins. What is the true position of things?
I went for one of our senatorial district meetings which was earlier slated for December 28, 2020, but shifted to January 10, 2021, due to certain reasons. I was to travel but I postponed my journey to enable me to attend the meeting. I had, earlier that day, attended a stakeholder meeting of Iwo Local Government Area which was held in Osogbo. The stakeholders’ meeting ended late so I arrived at the Ikire meeting behind schedule. I was received on arrival by many party leaders and supporters. Hence, it would be wrong to conclude that I was attacked by aggrieved party members because they came to receive and usher me to the seat reserved for me. However, no sooner than I started to give my speech that some hoodlums, armed with different types of arms and ammunition, including axes and cutlasses, emerged from behind me and started shouting and surging towards my direction. When I discovered that I was their target, I quickly rushed into one of the vehicles in my convoy. My security details did not usher me to the vehicle that took me to the meeting. I think that the target was on the vehicle that I took to the venue because it was seriously damaged by the hoodlums. My attackers did not stop at that, they also locked the gate. I even identified the young man that locked the main entrance to the venue because he was struggling with my security men, trying to stop them from opening the gate. We had to use our vehicle to bring down the gate before we could escape from the scene. It was after the scenario that we tweeted about the incident.
What was the immediate reaction of the police officers who were at the meeting to provide security?
Apart from my personal security details who were two in number, other security personnel who came with either the Deputy Governor (of Osun State) or attached to other political functionaries did not actually take any action to ensure that we left the place safely. I saw the deputy governor coming behind me as I was rushing out of the venue. He also wanted to leave the venue immediately the incident happened. In fact, he left as soon as I left the place. We later met at the Government House (in Osogbo).
Did the hoodlums make any attempt to attack the deputy governor, having realised that you had escaped from them?
No. There was no attempt to attack any other dignitary at the occasion except me.
Does that not suggest that your attackers were actually aggrieved party members? Why do you insist that the young men were hired assassins?
Well, the assassination attempt may be political. There is no reason for any political leader or member of my political party to be aggrieved against me, looking at my performances in all ramifications. I challenge any first-time senator or House of Representatives member, who has surpassed what I have achieved within the period I have been in the National Assembly, to come out and showcase their scorecard.
There were allegations that you don’t include ‘stomach infrastructure’ in your empowerment programmes, hence some of your supporters are not happy with you
Many people are looking up to politicians to get consumables, that is, what they can eat immediately. They don’t think about their future. Also, many politicians have also bought into the idea of sharing foods to the people instead of empowering them with skills that could put food on their tables. More than 90 per cent of Nigerian politicians are focusing on the next elections, only very few of us are focusing on the next generation. If the members of the public could be thinking about their future and the politicians in power are thinking about the same, things would be better for us in this country.