Funke Akindele, a Nollywood actress and PDP candidate for deputy governor in Lagos State, was escorted from the Ikosi fruit market on Tuesday while out campaigning.
In an interview with NAN, the PDP governorship candidate Abdul-Azeez Adediran, also known as Jandor, commented on the incident and revealed that their campaign was halted as a result of it.
Jandor said that one member of the security team had been stabbed while others, including journalists, had also sustained injuries during a meeting with the top Imam of Ketu Central Mosque.
He did, however, confirm that the actress got off the campaign bus while the group was still moving through the council’s streets.
When Jandor began his tour of 245 wards in October 2022, he lamented the frequent occurrence of similar events in other local government districts.
PDP bemoans
In an interview with Premium Times, the PDP Lagos spokesperson, Hakeem Amode, said that the local government chairperson had deployed the thugs to sabotage their campaign.
He said: “Usually when we go to the market, Funke Akindele goes to the market to speak with the Market women, and we know it is our right to be able to talk freely, a campaign to anybody.”
He alleged that the Ikosi LCDA Chairperson- Abolanle Bada, brought thugs to intimidate them.
He said: “the local government chairperson came into the market, used her car to block and brought a bunch of thugs to attack us in Kosofe local government, which is very, very sad; it is unbelievable we are not allowed to speak to people freely.”
“Under the new electoral act, we are free to campaign anywhere; this is Lagos, where we should be able to talk to everybody without intimidation or discrimination. That should not even happen,” he added.
Additionally, he asserted that this was not the first instance of it.
Not only hoodlums
Mr. Hakeem further disclosed that during the market campaigns, the intimidation had gone beyond mere harassment.
“Those we gave our campaign materials to, they have gone to evict them from their house and ask them not to come to the market; they came crying to our campaign offices. These are market women that paid for the stalls they are using in the market.”
“Why should we come to this level of harassment and intimidation of our members? Even market women.”
He reiterated that they have come under attack in other markets.
Mr. Hakeem asserted that in order to prevent the situation from becoming more violent, the team was forced to withdraw and join him in Jandor, where he was running for office.
The PRO asserted once more that the Ikosi LCDA Chairperson was accountable for the violence on Tuesday, and he provided footage to support his assertion.
APC’s reaction
Seye Oladejo, the All Progressive Congress (APC) spokesperson in Lagos who was contacted by PREMIUM TIMES over the allegations, denied being aware of the alleged incident.
He said: “The PDP people are well known for their wild allegations; if people were attacked, I think it is what the security agencies would be interested in; I don’t think the solution is to take it to the media.”
“As far as we are concerned, we are not in the business of violence; our party is going for victory, so why should we be distracted by people who cannot even put their house in order and want to come into government.”
Mr. Oladejo asserted that the APC is not under any election-related pressure and counselled any party alleging attack to file a legal complaint.
In July 2022, the actress, also known as Jenifa, was formally introduced as Jandor’s running partner in Ikorodu, her birthplace.
She was chosen by Jandor from a group of five nominees that also included Rasheed Teslim-Balogun, Kolawole Vaughan, Adenike Shobajo, and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
