Ogun State government has denied the purported attack on a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mr Segun Sowunmi at the premises of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting at Isabo, Abeokuta, the state capital.
Reports of an alleged attack on Sowunmi have been trending on social media, with accusing fingers being pointed at the state government and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
But, the state government, in a statement issued by the permanent secretary, Ministry of Information, Mr Waheed Adesina, denied the allegation that political thugs attacked the PDP chieftain, saying nothing could be farther from the truth.
According to him, no such attack happened at the premises of the tribunal, which is being protected by a retinue of security personnel.
Adesina in the statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Abuja, said what happened was 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.
He said a large number of APC and PDP supporters, including other neutral observers who had arrived at the venue late, were affected.
The permanent secretary said 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.
The state government insisted that the protest had no political coloration as it was spontaneous and carried out by all those outside the premises of the tribunal, including PDP and APC members and the general public, who felt that they are also important as well as stakeholders in the state.
The government warned against the spread of fake and unsubstantiated stories that could plunge the state into political quagmire.
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