A violent altercation reportedly occurred on Thursday night between political loyalists within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ijebu Ijesa area of Osun State, following a social media comment made on the Facebook page of Mr. Niyi Ajifowobaje. The incident, which has drawn concern from political observers, involved alleged loyalists of Olajengbesi attacking supporters of Babalola Obisesan, popularly known as BABS.
Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the individuals identified as Femi Awe, popularly known as “Mercy,” and Bisi Babafemi, also known as “Aare,” assaulted Mr. Lekan Bolorunduro a staff member at the Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke and Mr. Ajewole Muyiwa Abraham, a personal assistant to Hon. Kanmi Ajibola of the Osun State House of Assembly.
According to sources, the attack stemmed from a Facebook post by Comrade Awoyemi Olayinka Rafael Nation on Mr. Ajifowobaje’s page. The post nostalgically referenced a photograph taken ten years ago with Hon. Oluwole Oke and asked how many people could be identified in the image. Comrade Awoyemi’s comment praised Hon. Oke for transforming the lives of many of his former associates. Mr. Lekan Bolorunduro merely “liked” the comment, an action that allegedly triggered the attack.
The assailants reportedly confronted Bolorunduro and Abraham, questioning why he would publicly support such a post. The situation escalated quickly, leading to physical violence against both individuals late into the night.
Following the incident, Mr. Lekan Bolorunduro reported the matter to the Ijebu-Ijesa Police Division, where the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) assigned two officers to invite the alleged attackers for questioning. However, upon returning to the scene with the officers, Femi Awe and Bisi Babafemi allegedly launched another assault on the victims, even in the presence of law enforcement. They reportedly told the officers they would only respond to the DCO’s invitation the following morning.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the attack may have had a political motive. Both Mr. Bolorunduro and Mr. Ajewole are known loyalists of Babalola Obisesan BABS, while their attackers are believed to be aligned with the Olajengbesi faction within the PDP.
The incident has further exposed the deepening internal crisis and factionalism within the PDP in the region. Party stakeholders and community leaders have since called for calm and urged security agencies to ensure justice is served to prevent future occurrences.