Disagreement over a Friday incident involving Nigerian presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore continued Saturday, as Ekiti State denied links to his alleged attack and called for police to investigate.
Sowore accused armed men of attacking him and his team in Ado-Ekiti with backing from the state. The allegation that the government sponsored the men remains unverified.
The Ekiti State Police Command described the event as an altercation at a restaurant. It said officers responded to a distress call, and that Sowore and others were treated at Police Cottage Hospital in Ado-Ekiti and discharged Friday.
In a Saturday statement, Olayinka Oyebode, the governor’s chief press secretary, said the state had no connection to the incident. He called on police to determine what happened and prosecute anyone responsible. The statement followed earlier conflicting accounts from Sowore and police.
The Ikogosi Marathon organizers barred Sowore from its 17.5-kilometer race, citing security concerns and a need to preserve the event’s political neutrality. The Ekiti State Police Command said Commissioner of Police Falade Adegoroye Michael directed an investigation.
