At least six members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Sunday lost their lives in a ghastly road crash on their way to celebrating the victory of their party in a bye-election that took place over the weekend. One of the victims was said to have been the Women Leader in her constituency.
The accident, it was gathered occurred along Oro-Omu Aran road in the Irepodun local government area of Kwara state on Sunday evening. The victims were part of a convoy of party members travelling to Oro town to celebrate victory of the Saturday by-election for Ekiti/Isin/Oke Ero/Irepodun federal constituency, won by Tunji Olawuyi of the APC.
It was gathered that the crash occurred at Oke Onigbin area at about 6:00pm, when a Morano jeep tried to overtake a heavy truck on a single lane of Oro-Omu Aran road and rammed into the bus conveying the APC members, resulting in a head on collision.
An official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), who confirmed the incident, however, said that no death was recorded on the scene of the accident, adding that many of the victims later died from severe injury sustained at hospitals and bone setting homes where they were taken to for medical treatment.
Many victims of the crash, who were in critical condition from injury sustained, were said to have been taken to Landmark Health Centre, Omu Aran, and other nearby private hospitals.
It was gathered that the initial death told was only four. it rose to six later yesterday. One of the latest victim was a popular beer seller in Omu-Aran, who died on Monday morning.
Reacting to the incident, the Kwara Chapter of the APC has condoled with families of its members who died in the road crash on Sunday.
In a statement issued in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Monday, the state Chairman of the party, Hon Bashir Bolarinwa, expressed shock and sadness at the death of four members and the injuries suffered by others in the crash.
The Chairman prayed that God would grant the families of the deceased the strength to bear their losses and also grant repose to the souls of the departed.
”We urge all our members and supporters across the state to keep the families of our deceased members and those who were injured in the accident in their prayers,” Hon Bolarinwa said.
The death of some of our supporters in a bid to join the celebration rally of the victory of our party, the All Progressives Congress APC) in the November 17, by-election at Oro, Irepodun Local Government, Kwara State
Also, winner of the by-election, Tunji Olawuyi of the APC, has described the development as quite unfortunate and a rude shock.
A statement by his media aide, Femi David, said that the member-elect of the House of Representatives, regreted the unfortunate incident, asking God to grant the victims the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
“We deeply mourn the departed souls, their contributions and sacrificed will remained evergreen in our memory, we ask God to grant them eternal rest.
We however assured of our unalloyed support for the families of the deceased, we will not let them down or rest on our oars to realise the Kwara of their dream, their support was legend and unprecedented.
They remained resilient, dogged and commited in their quest for a just and egalitarian kwara, their unwavering support earned us the victory in the by-election, the freedom they stood for will be ruggedly pursued.