Uproar as Aiyedatiwa's supporters adopt red berets as insignia
• We’re not cultists but only foot- soldiers, says gov’s support group • Ondo in deficit, needs restoration, says Oke
TENSION continues to build up in Ondo State ahead of the governorship election with various support groups strategising on how to ensure visibility in the state.
Among the support groups that devised means of getting noticed is Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation Foot Soldiers ( LACO- FS), which adopted the wearing of red berets as their symbol.
Following the development, some people have attributed the insignia to cultism, which they said, must be frowned on, particularly that the state had been struggling with cult- related activities. Aiyedatiwa, while inaugurating the group, was seen putting on the red beret as insignia, and some people stressed that such a move would further embolden cultists in their activities across the state.
A public affairs analyst, Oluwagbenga Ajongbolo, who spoke on the issue, said: "What exactly are Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his supporters bringing into Ondo State with their berets? What's the idea and ideology behind donning red berets on the streets of Akure and Akoko? What's the socio- economic belief of a typical Aiyedatiwa supporter? What does Aiyedatiwa stand for?
"If this is not about their economic and political beliefs, should we be scared that a set of people, led by the governor, have now adopted a style of clothing that has significant meaning and messages it is passing across? Are we safe in Ondo State?"
On his part, Niyi Arogbo said: "Now that Aiyedatiwa has adopted a red beret, let Olusola Oke use a yellow beret, while Jimoh Ibrahim uses a blue beret, and Wale Akinterinwa chooses black. Make sure we systematise everything. Ondo 2024 will be so interesting."
In a reaction, the State Director of Information of LACO- FS, Kayode Fasua, distanced the group from cultism- related activities. He said: "It is benumbing to come across grave expressions on social media, especially through some Twitter handles ( now rebranded as X), that our group is bringing cultism to Ondo State.
"While those bandying the insinuations of thuggery or cultism have bombarded the net with their tar brushes, they fail woefully to prove any instance of violence in our activities and find it hard to produce any pictorial or camera evidence of where Aiyedatiwa supporters, under the aegis of LACO- FS, are armed with any weapon at all, much less a dangerous one."
MEANWHILE, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), Olusola Oke, yesterday, said the state had been facing deficits since its creation in 1976, hence the need to restore it to the status it deserved.
Oke said he would find solutions to the myriad of challenges confronting the state, going by his experience in politics and governance, as well as his knowledge of the districts of the state.