Osun polls: How gunmen stormed m y house Sen. Salami

 SOURCE:Vanguard 

By Henry Umoru In Osogbo A chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Bayo Salami has described the Osun State gubernatorial election as a fight between the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the people of the State.

According to him, in 2007, it was between the PDP and governor Rauf Aregbesola, just as he boasted that the APC had already won the election.

Speaking with Journalists yesterday after his polling unit at Olu-Ode in Osogbo, Senator Salami who give a picture of how he narrowly escaped death at the hands of gunmen along side his family, described the action of the people as desperation and not democracy.

He said,This is desperation not democracy. They did it to me I saw it live. With what they did yesterday (Friday) night I now know they dont have decorum. I now know I am open for attack. If you get to my house you will see all the evidence.

On the election he said today election, PDP is not winning. APC has won election in this state and we want to see how They (PDP) will win.

He told Journalists that the gunmen stormed his residence at the Government Residential Area, GRA in Osogbo at 10:30 pm on friday.

Salami, who represented Osun Central under the Alliance for Democracy (AD) between 1999-2003, said that the gun men numbering about 15 including a lady, came in a bus and an Sport Utility vehicle.

The APC Chieftains house is less than five minutes walk from the State police command, directly opposite a court premises and adjacent the Government House.

Meanwhile, voting has commenced after accreditation of voters, just as voters in some polling units rejected the folding of ballot papers by presiding officers before the thumb printing.

At Imesi- Ile in Obokun Local government, the people out rightly rejected the move and demanded to see the ballot papers that were given to them.

Speaking further on his experience at the eve of election, Senator Salami who noted that the move of the gunmen was to take him away to ensure that he was not at his family home at Olu-Ode to vote with his people, said, this is the place they did not want me to be with my people at the family house, Iam here.

Alleging that the intention of the gunmen was to kidnap him and deprive him of being at the Olu-Ode area where he has massive followership, adding that the gunmen who forcefully gained entrance into his compound after overpowering the security man at the gate, attempted to enter by firing severally at the door.

Senator Salami said, at about10:05 pm on Friday about 15 men stormed my house with masked gun men in a bus and SUV. They beat up my security at the gate and carried him away. As they did all that, so me and my family moved into one room.

They shouted open the door or will we will shoot it down. They shot at the door thinking it was a wooden door. They shot at the door several times but they could not gain entry. When you go to my house now you will see the pellets littered around.

According to him, when they failed to gain access to him and his family, they turned on themselves, blaming one another for the failure of their mission. They fought themselves before leaving my compound. They were saying to themselves I told you we should have come here earlier, he said.

On whether he reported the matter to the police, he said I dont have cause to go to police. I sent text to people who can help me out.

He noted that he had a tip off of an intended attack on him and he then instructed his wife, who is related to the minister of police affairs, Jelili Adesiyan challenging him on what had transpired.

According to him, the minister replied, saying he does not deserve the kind of text message and allegation against him.