The Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has denied any involvement in the alleged attack by hoodlums suspected to be political thugs on the convoy of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Yaman Abdullahi.
The attack, which reportedly occurred on Friday when Abdullahi’s campaign convoy was leaving Shao, in the Moro Local Government Area of the state, after its campaign on Friday, allegedly left some members of the party with serious injuries while many vehicles were damaged by the thugs.
The PDP, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Prince Tunji Morohunfoye, condemned the attack on its candidate and his supporters allegedly by the APC thugs.
Morohunfoye added, “The PDP governorship candidate Alhaji Shuaib Abdullahi, and his campaign train were attacked by thugs suspected to be APC-sponsored early this (Saturday) morning in Shao, Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, while the team was on its way back to Ilorin, the state capital.
“Some members of Alhaji Yaman’s entourage were also injured and had to be hospitalised after this traumatic and unprovoked attack.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, told one of our correspondents that he had yet to receive any report concerning an attack on the PDP candidate’s campaign team.
But spokesperson for the APC in the state, Tajudeen Aro, debunked the claim, saying that the PDP was involved in a crisis with the bus drivers they hired for the campaign over the issue of payment.
“They (the PDP) don’t need to be shouting that they were attacked. What they should probably do is to go and report at the police station. I have done an investigation and inquired from three people. They were having issues because they didn’t pay for the buses they hired. The bus drivers were fighting with them because they were not paid,” Aro added.
However, Morohunfoye said the opposition party had faced political intimidation in the state.
He said, “We wish to remind Kwarans of the ugly incident that happened over the last weekend where all PDP banners and billboards were defaced and destroyed in Kwara South, along the way to Obo-Ayegunle, just because the governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, was invited to an event there.
“The entourage of the PDP deputy governorship candidate, Gbenga Makajuola, who was also invited to the event, had to be sequestered at Omu-Aran for the fear of a clash with the governor’s APC entourage. We, in the PDP, wish to reiterate that no single person has a monopoly on violence. We know we are on the path to victory come 2023 InshAllah. So, why should we cause trouble and perpetuate violence? We can only call on our gallant but grossly underfunded security agents in Kwara State to seek out and arrest these agents of destabilisation suspected to be sponsored by the APC.
“Consequently, we at the PDP, put it to the Kwara APC that glossy banners, billboards, and beautiful campaign materials do not win elections. The APC may also wish to be reminded that thugs shall not and cannot shake the resolve of the great people of Kwara State to change the ‘soiled diaper’ APC regime, led by Mal. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.”
