22nd February, 2011
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led Kwara State government has been accused of unleashing terror on citizens of the state as Jonathan visits Kwara.
This barbarism is underscored by the recent violent actions of the thugs loyal to the party, some carrying out their barbaric actions right under the protection of the state government.
According to a statement by Rafiu Ajakaye, media aide to the state Action Congress of Nigeria , ACN, governorship candidate, Dele Belgore, the latest incidents that occurred yesterday and this morning, was the wanton destruction of all the billboards belonging to the opposition in the state capital.
“To underscore their barbaric acts and where they are coming from, these thugs destroyed everything and left only billboards belonging to the PDP governorship candidate, AbdulFatah Ahmed.These thugs actually left from the Government House in a commando style at about 12 midnight, causing commotion around the boisterous Kwara hotels.
“Their hirelings had started this condemnably provocative behaviour at around 10p.m. by tearing down all opposition posters close to the Government House. To show their derring-do, some of these thugs actually gathered in front of the Deputy Governor’s House before they moved to the Government house where they eventually took off.All the billboards in Ilorin belonging to the ACN Governorship Candidate, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), and other opposition candidates were either defaced or uprooted out-rightly by thugs being sponsored by the PDP-led state government.
” At Emir’s Road near Belgore’s family house, for instance, these thugs arrived at around 12.30a.m. in a convoy of eight vehicles containing arms and munitions, shooting sporadically into the air to scare away any potential challenger of their barbarism then tearing down the billboards,” he added.
According to him, ” These thugs practically unleashed terror on the hapless people living in the area. These actions were repeated almost in all the key areas across the state capital, including Unity, Airport and Iyana Afon Junctions, Gairi Alimi Round About, where they destroyed our billboards despite the fact that the sites were duly registered and paid for under the auspices of the Kwara State Advertising and Signage Agency (KWASA). These barbaric actions only go to show that the state government and its agent provocateurs have no respect for law and order.We understand that the PDP did this simply because President Goodluck Jonathan was coming to campaign in Ilorin. Their agenda is to give the impression, like Governor Bukola Saraki boasted in a newspaper report on Saturday, that the PDP is the only party in Kwara, even when all indications point to their grim prospect in the coming poll in the state.
“The message the PDP and state government are sending to the people of Kwara is that the April poll would not be free and fair, that the people would be cowed and prevented from exercising their constitutional right to elect their leader, and that violence would be unleashed on them if bribery and intimidation fail to quench people’s thirst for change.
“They have told anybody who cares to listen that the election would be a do-or-die affair. Politics for us is about improving the lives of the people. Belgore has made clear to his supporters that any of them caught unleashing violence on the people or doing anything illegal would be handed over to security agents. We have reported this action to all the appropriate security agencies, and we urge the provoked people of Kwara to remain calm and not take the law into their own hands.”