By Geoffrey Ekenna and Muskiliu Mojeed
Published: Monday, 23 Jul 2007

While the PDP absolved itself of any blames and called for urgent investigation into the matter, the Oranmiyan, the political group of the Action Congress governorship candidate in the April 14 election in the state, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, alleged that Ijesha people might have been punished for voting massively for the AC in the election.

In a statement made available to our correspondent on Sunday, the Chairman of the PDP in the state, Alhaji Ademola Rasaq, also condemned Aregbesola for insinuating that the inferno might have been politically motivated.

Rasaq, who said that the fire incident should be seen as a tragedy and general loss to all Yoruba people, also called on the state government and the relevant security agencies to urgently investigate the cause of the incident and bring those found guilty to book.

He, however, said it was unfair for Aregbesola to insinuate in a newspaper interview, (not THE PUNCH) that he knew those behind the incident.

Rasaq said,”Mr. Aregbesola said he knew the perpetrators. Security agencies should then get him to furnish them with the relevant information on the culprits. His statement was as irresponsible as it was clearly pre-emptive of police investigations.

”We have every cause to believe that this desperate politician can go to any length to pursue his inordinate ambition to be governor. That is why we ask the police and other security agencies to invite him to shed light on what he claimed he knew on the unfortunate incident.”

The party further said that the palaces of monarchs were sacred places to an average Yoruba man which could not be destroyed for mere political reasons.

But in its statement, Oranmiyan also called for an urgent investigation of the inferno.

It also called on well-meaning sons and daughters of Ijeshaland and their friends to come to the aid of the monarch.

It said,”Oranmiyan hoped that the Ijesha people are not being targetted and severely punished for their decision to vote massively for the Action Congress and its governorship candidate, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola, in the last general elections.