controversy ensued on Friday as the family of the late former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, alleged that a governorship aspirant in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, planned to “bring an impersonator” to speak on behalf of the family at his campaign rally in Osogbo, the Osun State capital today, in order to exonerate him on the murder of the late Attorney General.
The family, in a statement signed by Mr. Akin Ige and Ige’s daughter, Mrs. Funso Adegbola, said it was united in getting justice for the late justice minister, while describing the governorship aspirant as “the prime suspect” in “the botched murder trial” of Ige.
Senator Omisore, who was tried and freed by the Oyo State High Court over the murder, is billed to launch his campaign bid for the governorship of Osun State in Osogbo today.
The Ige family stressed that members of the public should disregard “any impersonator who might have been bought to exonerate any person,” describing the alleged plan as “part of the calculated plot to further irritate the lingering pains of the murder of (their) patriarch and to attempt to further dance on Ige’s grave.”
The statement reads: “This is to apprise the general public, security agencies, and well meaning Nigerians that information has reached members of the family of the late Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige (who was assassinated on 23rd December, 2001), that a governorship aspirant and prime suspect of the botched murder trial of our father, who also superintended the physical assault on the person of Chief Bola Ige on 15th December, 2001, has perfected plans to bring an impersonator, who will claim to be a member of the family, to speak at his campaign rally in Osogbo this week. It was learnt that the impersonator will attempt to exculpate someone from being a suspect in the killing of our respected patriarch, the justice of whose murder case is yet to be determined.
“We state here that there is no authentic member of the Ige family, be it from the nuclear or extended family, who will come out to aggravate the pains we still feel in our hearts over the murder of our dear father, uncle and relation, by speaking at a campaign rally. It will be sacrilegious to so do. We have been struggling for years since the gruesome murder to mitigate the pain by ensuring that the masterminds and their cohorts involved in the murder are brought to justice.
“We urge members of the public to disregard any impersonator that might have been bought to make any statement exonerating any person. This plan is part of the calculated plot to further irritate the lingering pains of the murder of our patriarch and to attempt to further ‘dance on Ige’s grave’.
“We are united as a family that justice is only delayed in this case and that we are still hopeful and resolute to see that those responsible for the killing, directly or indirectly, are brought to justice notwithstanding their wealth or social standing.”
Omisore reacts
In his reaction, Omisore accused the Ige family of acting the script of the Osun State government, even as he asked security agencies to probe leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the murder of Ige.
Speaking through his campaign organisation,The Iyiola Omisore Organisation, the governorship aspirant said he viewed “with extreme disappointment” and condemned “with all emphasis the false alarm over non- existent plan for a member of the Bola Ige family” to speak at his governorship campaign flag off slated for Saturday, February 8th (today).
“ The statement is irresponsible, to say the least. and insensitive to the feelings of many, including Senator Iyiola Omisore, who is in court, seeking N2 billion for malicious prosecution over the matter.
“Our shock stems from the realisation that those who signed the statement failed to manifest and uphold truth and justice which late Ige stood for throughout his lifetime. Nobody with true blood of Ige would provide himself to be used by discredited political clique who are clinging to every straw to escape electoral defeat come August 8, 2014.
“We are disappointed because as a political organisation, we have neither need for, nor design any plan for a member of the Ige family to speak at Saturday’s rally. For any member of the family to be part of a hatchet job is a disservice to the memory of that great political leader.
“As the statement flies on the face of facts and reality, we suspect that the family members must have been coerced to issue the statement by a governor already rejected by the generality of our people. The family could not in good conscience have written that letter, especially when Senator Omisore has already reopened the case seeking damages for his incarceration and trial over the issue.
“As many members of the Ige family are our friends, Senator Omisore had concentrated his efforts on seeking justice both for himself and the dead leader by instituting this case which neither the governor nor his boss are willing to follow through.
“The family could not have written the statement if it had a truly representative meeting to deliberate on that malicious request from Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to issue that release. If such meetings were held, questions would have been raised on why the judgment which discharged and acquitted Senator Omisore was not appealed by those who falsely claim to love the former leader. The meetings would have considered all these realities and conclude that the governor and his ilks are only interested in the Ige matter to play politics, to cover up bad government, to divert attention of the restless and angry citizenry and to attempt to stop a divine train on a rescue mission.
“In fact, we strongly believe that searchlight should be beamed on APC leaders, beneficiaries of the assasination, as they would not have so risen if Ige had not been murdered. Or how can one justify their failure to appeal the ruling even when their party was still in power at the time?
“In conclusion, we state quite frontally that no amount of false alarms,unfounded rumours and deceitful propaganda will sway our people from their resolve to vote out the incompetent, confused and retrogressive government of Ogbeni Aregbesola,” Omisore declared.
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