Political assassination, a term generally applied to political murders, is likely to play an important role in political and social processes in Osun State in Western Nigeria, with a possible dramatic effect.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alerted Nigerians that the life of their ‘’victorious’’ governorship candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, is in serious danger.
Before this PDP alert, many have argued that the assassination of the Israeli Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin in 1995 was a major reason for the collapse of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. Analysts have maintained that it is also difficult to deny the impact of the assassinations of figures such as Martin Luther King or Benazir Bhutto on the success of their political movements/parties following their deaths.
A Nigerian author, Blessing Adegoke, in The Act of Political Assassination in Nigeria (2010), political assassination is murder (a usually prominent person) by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons.
‘’It is usually planned murder of a person who occupied or wants to occupy a position of public reckoning. Additionally, Political assassination is the act of deliberately killing someone especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons.
‘’As an individual unfold in Nigeria, one seems to be unsure of political given the unsevoury constancy of political inclined thuggery, violence, conflicts and assassination. This calls for concern given the fact that the fourth and fifth republic is another opportunity for democratic practice that has been eluding since independences.
‘’It is therefore not a figment grovel imagination that the frequency in politically motivated killing in Nigeria seems to be associated with the weakness inherent in the post-colonial states in Africa’’, the author wrote.
Other social thinkers are of the view that political assassinations have been part of social reality since the emergence of communal social frameworks, as the leaders of tribes, villages, and other types of communities constantly needed to defend their privileged status.
In the ancient world assassination featured prominently in the rise and fall of some of the greatest empires.
The opposition is already fingering the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the unfolding political drama in Osun.
According to the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, ‘’certain desperate elements of the APC, who are unsettled that they cannot stop Senator Adeleke from retrieving his governorship mandate freely given to him by the people of Osun state, are now viciously plotting to use all means to put him out of circulation. Given the series of unrelenting attacks, threats and the desperation now being exhibited by the APC, our party has become apprehensive that there are plots to silence Senator Adeleke as a way to terminate his efforts to retrieve his governorship mandate in the court.’’
PDP in a statement said part of the plot ‘’is to frame and arrest the Principal of his school, Ede
Muslim High School, Ede, Kadili Adejare Abass, on trump-up charges that Senator Adeleke’s School testimonial was forged with the aim of using such fabrication as a basis to smear and clamp down on Senator Adeleke.’’
The party had earlier alerted the public that having failed in their alleged project to brand Senator Adeleke’s WAEC Certificate as fake, APC leaders operating from Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, were allegedly weaving a new fabrication that Senator Adeleke’s School Testimonial was forged.
PDP had equally informed the public of how a former commissioner in the state was allegedly used by the APC leaders to reach and compromise certain top police officers to use the fabrications to arrest and embarrass Senator Adeleke and the Principal of his School, Ede Muslim High School even when they have not committed any crime.
‘’On April 24, 2019 the Nigeria Police in collaboration with the APC arrested Abass, the Principal of the Ede Muslim High School, Ede as well as the wife of the school’s Registrar, Mrs. Rofiyat Oladepo and her nine months old baby. Information available to the PDP shows that AIG Adeleye Oyebade of Zone II, Oshogbo, ordered the arrest of the innocent Principal of the school and the Registrar.
‘’When the Registrar, Kabir Oladipo could not be reached as he is undergoing treatment for legs and arms injuries he sustained in a motor accident, AIG Oyebade allegedly ordered one ASP Faliyu to arrest the wife, Mrs. Rofiyatu Oladepo, with her 9 months old baby. Both the innocent mother and her baby were dumped at the Zone II Police headquarters, Osogbo’’, the party said.
The rest of their testimony went thus: ‘’PDP has also been informed of how AIG Oyebade allegedly told those who went to visit the detainees last night that they are continuing the criminal aspect of the civil action commenced by the APC, which is still in court. The PDP holds that it is most unfortunate that the Nigeria Police will allow certain elements within its ranks to yield themselves as tools in the hands of the oppressive APC in their desperation to thwart the mandate of the people of Osun, which they freely gave to Senator Adeleke.
‘’It is clear that there is no way a school principal, who duly signed and issued a school testimonial under his own hand and position, can be said to have forged the same testimonial.
Moreso, the school register as well as the WAEC result and certificate eminently show that Senator Adeleke attended the school, sat for WAEC examination and obtained the certificate, which has been validated even by a court of competent jurisdiction, thus also authenticating the school testimonial.
‘’The PDP therefore calls on the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed to call his men to order on issues related to Senator Adeleke’s determination to retrieve his governorship mandate, which was stolen by the APC. While the PDP further urges the IGP to order the immediate release of the innocent School Principal, the wife of the school registrar and her baby, our party counsel the APC and their allies to end their schemes against Senator Adeleke, as they will all come to naught in the face of justice and the will of the people Osun.
‘’The PDP therefore calls on Nigerians to hold the APC and their agents responsible should Senator Adeleke becomes a victim of any harm or sudden disappearance. The people of Osun state have elected Senator Adeleke as their governor and should be allowed to move ahead with their choice of leadership.’’
