Bye-Election-Tension grips Kwara as PDP,APC trade attacks

 

By Demola Akinyemi

ILORIN-Palpable tension now gripped  the Kwara south senatorial district of Kwara state where today’s bye-election  for Irepodun /Isin/Ekiti/Oke-Ero federal constituency of the state will take place as security officers in police uniform have begun cracking  down on leading members of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the senatorial district .

Already,  one Mr. Lukman Idris who is the  ward chairman of former deputy governor of the  state, Chief Joel Ogundeji in Iwo in Isin local government council area of the  state and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Chief Joseph Adeniyi from Egosi in Oke-Ero local government council area of the state  was reportedly arrested Thursday night by these suspected security operatives in police uniform in the state.

APC & PDP

Besides, scores of the PDP  members in Ajase-Ipo in Irepodun local government council area of the state have also been declared missing in the wee hours of yesterday’s night ahead  of today’s bye-election.

The victims  according to Vanguard findings  were said to have been declared missing following the alleged invasion of their homes by some people suspected to be security operatives.

It was also gathered that, though  unknown gun men did not meet Chief Adeniyi at home when they invaded his home, but they took away his son who was said to be a soldier at Egosi town in Oke-Ero local government council area of the state.

Vanguard reliably gathered that this development might not be unconnected with the hatched plan of APC to intimidate the PDP members from the area against mobilising for the PDP candidate in the election, Alhaji Saheed Alatise.

However,  the APC candidate in the election, Alhaji Raheem Olatunji has been reportedly attacked during his campaign tour of the federal constituency in Thursday.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/11/imn-threat-and-the-states-monopoly-of-violence/

Though, he was unhurt during the attack but the ugly development has caused a lot of tension in the area.

The leader of the APC in the state  Alhaji Lai Mohammed has condemned the attack on the APC candidate saying that,. party will work with relevant agencies to ensure free, fair and credible election on Saturday with adequate security before, during and after the election.

He said the election will begin a new chapter for the party and it will be used to show the world that the APC is intact and the preferred party.

However,  concerned Kwara  PDP youths  have kicked against the purported arrest  of their leaders  by unknown gun men ahead of the election.

In a statement issued on Friday signed by the spokesperson,Mr. Akeem Iyanda said that, the ugly development was meant to intimidate the PDP members from voting during the poll.

The group stated that, “This action of the security operatives is not only illegal and barbaric but a violation of fundamental human rights.

“More so, such actions constitute a threat to our nascent democracy and also represent gross abuse of state institutions by the APC-led Federal Government.

“We call on the media, civil society organisations, local and international observers and the general public to take note of this primitive show of power and other pre-election intimidation tactics of the FG and APC”.

Contacted, the state police command Public Relations Officer , Ajayi Okasanmi said he was yet to be informed of the development,saying , “I am not aware of this new incident”.

He however said that, ” I will make inquiry on the development so as to know the true position of things as regards the arrest of PDP chieftains by some security operatives that invaded the homes  of the PDP chieftains”.