Molete Clash: Accord Publicity Director, Wokilumo Debunks Market Operator Claim, Says Hoodlums Attacked Party Members

The Director of Publicity and Campaign Promotions to the Accord Party Guber Candidate in Oyo State, Tobiloba Ogunsina, popularly known as Wokilumo, has debunked a claim that supporters of the party were responsible for the chaos that erupted during a rally in Molete, Ibadan, on Wednesday, insisting that hoodlums attacked Accord Party members.

Ogunsina stated this when he called the Chief Publisher of NewsRegister, Micheal Oladejo, on Wednesday, disputing an account that blamed Accord supporters for the confrontation.

He later released evidence which he said showed the attack on Accord Party members during the rally, maintaining his position that the party’s supporters were victims of the incident.

His reaction followed a report titled “Molete Clash: Market Operator Disputes Accord’s Account, Alleges Party Supporters Caused Chaos,” which presented a conflicting account from an individual identified as a market operator.

The market operator had alleged that some Accord Party supporters were responsible for the disturbance, directly contradicting the account given by the party’s spokesperson, Samuel Ibikunle, popularly known as Arugb Boiz, who claimed that hoodlums from another political party attacked Accord members with stones and other objects during their procession.

Ogunsina rejected the allegation against Accord supporters, insisting that hoodlums attacked the party members during the rally. The evidence he subsequently released was presented by him in support of his account of the incident.

The confrontation reportedly occurred during a peace rally organised by the Accord Party in Molete, Ibadan, and generated conflicting accounts over the circumstances surrounding the incident.

An earlier update shared on the Goalpoacher News WhatsApp platform had raised a security alert, alleging an exchange of gunfire between supporters of two political parties in the area.

“Happening Now: Molete Red Hot On Fire. Gun exchanges presently ongoing between 2 Political Parties,” one of the messages read, while residents and commuters were advised to avoid the route temporarily.

However, Ibikunle, who spoke directly with Goalpoacher News Chief Executive Officer, Segun Kehinde Joel, denied that there was any exchange of gunfire. He alleged that hoodlums attacked Accord members with stones and other objects as they proceeded through Molete during what he described as a peaceful rally.

Ibikunle also alleged that a woman was injured during the confrontation and taken to an undisclosed hospital. He said the party contacted the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, following which additional police personnel were deployed to the area.

Meanwhile, security personnel from Operation Burst were reportedly deployed to maintain law and order and prevent further escalation of the situation.

Despite Ogunsina’s release of evidence in support of his account, the competing claims surrounding the confrontation have raised questions about who initiated the violence and the circumstances that led to the incident.

As of the time of filing this report, the accounts from the parties and the market operator had not been independently verified, and no official account from the security authorities establishing the sequence of events had been provided in the information available.