The Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara has a few hours ago expressed shock at the news of the assassination of his colleague, Honourable Temitope Olatoye popularly known as Sugar by unknown gunmen in Ibadan Oyo State.
Speaker Dogara in his statement condemning the senseless and barbaric act, said:
“I received with shock, the sad and distressing news of the assassination of my brother and colleague, Hon. Olatoye Temitope Sugar, in Oyo State today. The murder of Hon Sugar in election violence today is primitive, wicked, inhumane, barbaric and highly condemnable.
He was a fine gentleman, committed patriot, dedicated, hardworking lawmaker and worthy representative of his people. We mourn him and all those whose lives were cut short by forces of evil and soulless men. Our heartfelt condolences to their families.
We pray for speedy recovery for all those injured. Elections are not war and should never be, they are and should be for service to God and country and not conquest with the barrel of the gun”.
Speaker Dogara also condemned electoral violence across the country, while also calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to bring those behind these various killings to book. He said:
“The rate of killings, thuggery, ballot snatching, voter suppression and other forms of electoral malpractices some aided and abetted by security agencies- in these elections portend great danger to our democracy and the survival of the Nigerian nation, since the will of the people as expressed in the ballot does not always count. It is unbelievable that 20 years after return to civilian rule, Nigeria is still stuck in the dark, primitive and uncivilised age where elections are seen as war and a do-or-die affair.
The killers of Hon Sugar and all those who lost their lives in election related violence must be brought to book.
We call on the President and Commander-in-Chief to set up a commission to investigate these killings and bring the perpetrators to book” he said.
Temitope Olatoye, a member of the House of Representatives, from Lagelu/Akinyele Federal Constituency of Oyo State, was shot dead on Saturday by unidentified gunmen after the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Ibadan.
He was rushed to the Accident and Emergency Centre of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where he was confirmed dead.
Olatoye Sugar contested and lost the Feb. 23 Senatorial elections in Oyo State on the platform of the Action Democratic Party (ADP). He lost the election.