The Senator representing Oyo Central and the Oyo State All Progressives Congress APC, governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections has denied assassination attempt on fellow lawmaker, Shina Peller.
Gatekeepers News reports that Shina Peller who’s a member of the House of Representatives representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola federal constituency, Hon. Shina Abiola Peller, had alleged that there was an attempt to assassinate him.
The lawmaker said there was an attempt to assassinate him on his way to Oyo State.
Peller made these revelations in a statement he signed.
The lawmaker, who is one of the aspirants jostling for Oyo North Senatorial district seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), also disclosed that there was no APC Senatorial primary in the district.
He said that the APC primaries ought to have been held on Saturday, and insisted that the election could not be held due to selfish interest of some bad elements in the APC.
He explained that his life was being threatened because he was protecting the interest of his people from the Oke Ogun geo-political zone.
Peller called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the security agencies to call Senator Teslim Folarin to order.
He insisted that people will hold Folarin accountable if anything happened to him, his family or his aides.
Peller said, “There have been calls from loved ones, supporters, close associates and family about the controversy surrounding the All Progressives Congress (APC) Oyo North Senatorial Primaries, which was scheduled to hold on Saturday, 28th May, 2022 at the Iseyin District Grammar School (IDGS), Iseyin, as well as assassination attempt on my life.
“This statement will, therefore, state the true picture of what actually transpired. The APC primaries ought to have been held on Saturday peacefully and transparently, but couldn’t hold due to selfish interest of some bad elements within the party who are determined to impose a candidate on all.
“So having failed in their attempt to manipulate the primaries on Saturday, they unconstitutionally moved it to Saki on Sunday, and they were able to succeed in carrying out their kangaroo primaries with fake delegates’ list under the protection of hoodlums who had been massively mobilized to the venue.
“My life is seriously being threatened just because I am trying to protect the interest of my dear people from the Oke Ogun region. I am using this opportunity to call on President Muhammadu Buhari, relevant stakeholders and security agencies to call Senator Teslim Folarin and his evil machinery to order, as people will hold him accountable if anything happens to me, my family or my aides.”
However, Teslim Folarin In a statement said he has zero tolerance for libel and slander.
The statement read, “My attention has been drawn to some trending videos where Hon. Shina Abiola Peller accused me of sending hired assassins to kill him.
“I am not an assassin and does not operate a death squad, therefore I could not have sent hired killers after Shina Peller or anyone.
“It is highly condemnable for Hon. Shina Peller to publicly allege that I sent hired killers after him without stating a reason why I should want to do so.
“I want to set the record straight that I do not have any anointed aspirant for the 2023 APC Oyo North senatorial district seat but I’ll respect the decisions of the majority party members (delegates) in the district.
“Hon. Shina Peller’s very serious allegation against my person is unacceptable and must be verified by the security agencies.
“It is saddening that Governor Seyi Makinde is using Shina Peller to attempt a smear campaign on me and destabilize Oyo APC ahead of the 2023 elections.
“The cordial relationship between Governor Makinde of PDP and Shina Peller of APC is public knowledge. It is an open fact that Shina Peller has been publicly and privately hobnobbing with Governor Makinde since May 2019.
“This is an APC lawmaker that does not only talk down his political party but also recklessly attend PDP functions within and outside Oyo State.
”Based on intelligence report at my disposal, Shina Peller’s senatorial aspiration on the platform of APC is just a smokescreen to destabilise Oyo APC and demarket me as the governorship candidate of our great party. He is acting a script written by PDP/Makinde.
“It is very unfair that Shina Peller is being used to malign me in order to score cheap political points. He is engaging in a campaign of calumny just because he wants to deputise Governor Makinde in the 2023 elections.
“While I am urging the public to disregard the false allegation, I urge the law enforcement agencies to immediately investigate the serious allegation against my person with a view to letting the world know what transpired between him and the people he claimed to have personally arrested. Nigerians deserve to know the truth!
“I have zero tolerance for libel and slander. Therefore, I have instructed my legal team to take up the defamation of my character by Hon. Shina Peller.”
