5th February, 2015
Kazeem Ugbodaga
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of using the Nigeria Police Force and other federal agencies to terrorise its members across the state.
At a news conference on Wednesday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, the APC Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe alleged that PDP members and their supporters were committing atrocities with impunity, purportedly with the aid of policemen.
He said the PDP is not in Lagos to win election but to pull down the state and cause mayhem since they were aware that the incoming elections would not go in their favour.
“Like a thief in the night, they have waylaid our supporters, humiliated, intimidated, maimed and even killed with reckless abandon. We are appealing to the law enforcement agencies to rise to the occasion before it is too late.
“On Thursday, January 22, 2015 in Agege, an APC supporter, Mr. Eyitayo Peter was shot dead while Lanre Ogunjimi sustained serious injury after a brazen attack by the supporters of a House of Representatives candidate of PDP.
“The matter was reported at Elere Police Station and up till now, we are yet to get a clear picture of what transpired on that fateful day. Human rights community in that area has asked the police to deploy all powers within its fold to unravel the killers of Eyitayo without success,” he explained.
Igbokwe added that the PDP committed another act of violence and impunity by one of its notable candidates without any caution from the men of the Nigeria Police Force.
“Recently, we witnessed another brazen display of impunity and lawlessness when our governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode’s grassroots supporters at Mosan Okunola LCDA who were on a door to door campaign were attacked, leaving more than 10 vehicles damaged and scores wounded.
“On Sunday, February 1, 2015, a PDP Senatorial candidate led armed thugs and supporters to the Ikeja Office of the APC candidate in the same zone, Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, alias Yayi, and fired shots into the office and in the process destroyed the rear windscreen of Yayi’s Toyota Land Cruiser and other properties.
“It was an assassination attempt on the life of our candidate, Yayi. This matter has been reported to the commissioner of police Lagos State and we wait for action,” he stated.
He berated the police on its comment against the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, LASAA, in which the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, threatened to arrest LASAA officials who attempted removing any illegally pasted political posters.
Igbokwe said the threat emboldened PDP members and their supporters to commit many acts of impunity as result of which LASAA and other advertising agencies have lost contracts worth billions of naira.