Gabriel Babajide, a member of the Oyo state House of Assembly who represents Ibadan North Constituency II, and Dapo Ibikunle, the assembly correspondent chairman have reconciled and and embraced peace.
The two agreed to peace after holding a meeting on Monday at the request of the Executive Members of the Assembly, and House Committee chairman on Information, Media, and ICT Honorable Qozeem Olayanju.
According to a news report published over the weekend in some online media, Hon. Babajide’s political supporters who were on their way to a campaign rally allegedly assaulted Dapo Ibikunle, the chairman of the House of Assembly correspondents.
Mr. Ibikunle claimed that one of the lawmaker’s political followers threatened his life at the scene of the incident while telling his version of the story in front of the House correspondents’ leadership.
The lawmaker denied the claim of a threat to life, claiming that there had only been a minor verbal altercation between Mr. Ibikunle and his supporters while they were traveling to a political rally on a campaign train. The lawmaker is running for reelection to a second term of four-years as a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly.
While acknowledging there was a misunderstanding in communication during exchange of verbal altercation at the scene, Hon. Babajide noted that he expected the matter not to have degenerated into a sort of media face-off considering the long-standing relationship between members of the house and House of Assembly correspondents.
Members of the House Correspondents present at the meeting in their separate remarks stressed the importance of mutual understanding between members of 9th assembly and journalists covering the House especially during the already heightened political campaign season.
Hon. Olayanju while appealing to his colleague and Ibikunle said, the 9th assembly has shown the needed capacity and willpower to foster cordial relationship with journalists particularly those covering the House.
While assuring that the House would continue to synergize with House of Assembly correspondents for improved relationship and adequate dissemination of information regarding activities of the house, he appealed to the duo to embrace each other in the spirit of brotherliness.
The Speaker, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, who briefly hosted both aggrieved parties and other members at the peace meeting expressed dismay and displeasure at the manner emotions were not properly handled while the misunderstanding lasted.
He however, commended both parties for finally finding a common ground to resolve their differences maturely. He stressed the importance of exhibiting high level maturity at all times when handling issues affecting other people noting that leadership always places the burden of responsibility on anyone in position of a leader.
