OLA AJAYI,Ibadan
Posted to the Web: Sunday, November 05, 2006

Also, two people, said to be loyalists of Ladoja, were feared dead in two separate incidents during the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ward congress held across the State.
It was learnt that the group of the court reinstated governor was given the go-ahead by the national secretariat of the PDP to participate in yesterday’s ward congress even though they were not registered.

It was a surprise for Adedibu’s loyalists that Ladoja’s loyalists outnumbered them.
This sparked off violent clash in Ward 3 in Ibadan, South-West Local Government Area which left one Ladoja’s loyalist dead and several people seriously injured at Adeoyo junction along Ring Road-Challenge, Ibadan. There were pockets of trouble in other wards.

At ward 1 in Ibadan North Local Government Area, one Dauda Owolabi received deep matchet cuts in the head. In Ward 3, in Oke Aremo, another casualty was recorded. The victim was identified as Aiki Wahab. Thugs also took over Ward 10 in Oba Akinyele High School where one Kola Olayiwola received matchet cuts on the head. Residents of Ibadan South East ran for cover when thugs who were heavily armed with guns and other dangerous weapons shot sporadically into the air.

Gbolarumi was seen among the crowd walking on foot along Mokola Sango Road around 12.23pm with a black face cap and grey kaftan. His official cars, a black jeep and 406 Peugeot car, trailed behind with some heavily armed policemen and plain clothes security details. At Mokola roundabout, he met some other thugs heading towards Sango brandishing cutlasses and other dangerous weapons and chanting war songs that “Ladoja should not try it”. The thugs were conveyed in a Mercedes Benz car marked OYO AR 499 BDJ and two buses with one marked XA 799 WWD.
It was also gathered that Beere, Mapo, Oja Oba and Molete were not peaceful during the congress. Thugs with dangerous weapons took over the roads making it impassable for motorists and pedestrians.

When the chief media officer to the deputy governor, Mr Demola Solalu, was confronted with the claim that his boss was leading thugs to cause chaos and mayhem, he denied it saying it would be unfair for anybody to say that Gbolarumi was leading thugs to cause mayhem. According to him, “ we went to Ibadan North Local Council to monitor the ward congress and everything went on smoothly. Nobody was attacked neither was anybody molested. I don’t know why peole could be so unfair to say that the deputy governor was leading others to attack Ladoja’s group. Is Ladoja still in the PDP?.
The chief of staff in the regime of Ladoja, Chief Sarafadeen Alli alleged that Ladoja’s supporters were attacked by hoodlums led by the deputy governor, Alli added. But we have instructed our men to keep away from them. We are not trouble makers”.

Meanwhile, it was gathered yesterday that Ladoja may not resume tomorrow as being widely publicized. According to the source, he couldn’t get through to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, Friday, to get the names of his aides approved.

At Ogbomoso, impeccable sources revealed that trouble broke out when Alao-Akala arrived the town Friday. It was learnt that the attack was led by one Oriade, a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) in Ogbomoso. Even though no life was lost, reports had it that many people were injured in the clash. An eye witness account confided in Sunday Vanguard that some thugs were mobilized to oppose Ladoja’s loyalists in the town for jubilating over the judgement of the court.