Hoodlums suspected to be Peoples Democratic Party supporters in Lagos Island have attacked members of the All Progressives Congress.
The attack, which was particularly targeted at a Woman Leader of Sanwo-Olu Campaign Organisation, Mrs Ola Williams, aka Iron Lady, and her group, Sanwo-Olu Babes, follower her delivery of all the 16 polling units in Ward C1, Lagos Island for the APC in the just concluded governorship and House of Assembly elections.
In the elections monitored by our correspondent, all APC candidates contesting the governorship and State House Assembly elections, defeated PDP candidates in landslide victory.
Williams, who led the APC supporters to win the 16 polling units in ward C1, Lagos Island local government, defeated the opposition PDP with a wide margin in all the polling units in the area.
The PDP supporters, following the outcome, resorted to violence by attempting to damage the result sheet with water, an effort that was however prevented by the APC members.
Williams, had during the electioneering, aggressively mobilised voters for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and all the APC candidates in the National Assembly poll.
Trouble started when APC supporters began jubilations after the party governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwoolu, won in the polling unit at Oju Olokun A, Ward C1 where Sanwo-Olu Woman Leader voted. APC won the polling unit by 236 votes as against 34 polled by the PDP in the governorship election.
It was gathered that PDP supporters, who were infuriated by the jubilant APC members, launched attacks on the APC.
The APC leader, Mrs Williams, who was assaulted with other members, most of whom were females, said on several occasions attacks by the opposition PDP had been recorded in the area.
According to some residents, some of the suspects, who allegedly attacked the APC members, were two sons of a community leader. They are Taiye and Idowu Atebo.
Speaking to journalists after the attack, Williams, who expressed satisfaction in the outcome of the elections, called on appropriate authorities to bring the perpetrators to book.
“We defeated them (PDP) completely; PDP does not have acceptability in this ward and Lagos Island local government,” she declared.
“This is just why they attacked us. They had wanted to pour water on the result sheets, but we stopped them. And when they couldn’t achieve that aim, they physically attacked us by hitting us with iron and sticks. We are all women, wives and mothers and these children did this to us. They must pay for this.”
Also speaking, Williams daughter, Bisi, who was severely bruised in the neck, said “we didn’t know they (the PDP members) were still planning another attack after we prevented them from pouring water on the result sheet.
“While we were still in the mood of celebration as a result of the victory, Taiye and Idowu, Baba Oloye’s children, rushed towards us and started striking us with long iron and big sticks. Many of us were injured. We want justice to be done,” she demanded amidst tears.
Another victim, identified as Ms Anita, said “those two boys who attacked us were fierce, rude and evil. They don’t care that we are women; they ran over us to inflict severe injuries on us. They must not go unpunished.”
Following the violence, the area was thrown into chaos. The situation however was controlled by soldiers who swiftly moved in, though no arrest was made.
Williams further led other assaulted women to Adejini Adele Police Division to report the incident.
The APC Woman Leader advised APC supporters to be steadfast, while commending the voters for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner during the exercise.
Williams expressed satisfaction in the Independent National Electoral Commission, for the conduct of the polls, which she described as free fair and credible.
