*AD candidate flee

Sensing that he may suffer the same fate which befell former Osogbo State Constituency lawmaker, Hon. Akintunde Adegboye at the Appeal Court, Ibadan, the Action Congress (AC) legislator representing Iwo State Constituency, Hon. Rasaq Salinsile is now making frantic move to escape the sledge hammer.

Hon Adegboye was removed by Appeal Court judges over the non inclusion by INEC of PPA candidate’s name in the ballot papers during the Saturday, April 14, 2007 polls.

Hon. Salinsile’s trouble was the non inclusion by INEC of Alliance for Democracy (AD) candidate’s name in the ballot papers during the April 14, 2007 polls. The case is still pending before the Appeal Court in Ibadan.

Already, AC members in Iwo are using different approaches to persuade the AD candidate, Hon. Fatai Ayo Rabiu to withdraw his case at the Appeal Court in Ibadan.

While threatening the AD candidate to either withdrawal his case or get killed and have his family chase out of Iwo town, the AC members in Iwo are also dangling a sum of N5 million before Hon. Rabiu to forget about his case, Osun Mail authoritatively learnt.

It was gathered that a crucial meeting on the matter was held on Sunday, November 15, 2009 at Oluwo’s palace.

The meeting kicked off at about 4pm with Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Tadese, Chief Oloya, Hon Salinsile, and Hon Rabiu in attendance.

Others at the parley were Mr. Gafari Rabiu, who is the AC Chairman in Iwo Local Government, Hon. Bisi Alamu, AD chieftain and former Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr. Salamon Olohuno, Mr. Rabiu (father of AD candidate) and other family members of AD candidate. 

Hon. Rabiu was told during the meeting to withdrawal his case at the Appeal Court and that failure to do so, the community may not be able to guarantee the safety of his life, that of his family and their properties.

According to sources, the AD candidate told the gathering that he was surprised not to see other stakeholders at the meeting particularly PDP stalwarts including the party’s candidate for same election, Hon. Tajudeen Ajani Ologburo.

Hon. Rabiu was said to have told them that he would actually think about “everything” on the Appeal Court matters and get in touch with them at a later date.

Osun Mail learnt that the situation in Iwo is so tense now that the AD candidate had to flee the town to unknown destination for safety.

It was further gathered that Hon Rabiu was worried because the PDP family in Iwo that may actually benefit from the Appeal Court expected favourable verdict has abandoned the AD candidate to sort out things by himself.