The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos on Wednesday lamented what it described as unfair and the unfavourable disposition of the Nigeria Police Force and other federal agencies against it in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Addressing journalists at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, alleged that PDP members and their supporters are committing atrocities with impunity, purportedly with the aid of policemen.
According to the APC scribe, the PDP “is not in Lagos to win election but to pull down the house since they are aware that the incoming elections will not go in their favour”.
Igbokwe added, “Like a thief in the night, they have waylaid our supporters, humiliate, intimidate, maim and even kill 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 Niyi Raheem, a House of Representative 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 power within its fold to unravel the killers of Eyitayo without success.”
He narrated another incident of violence and impunity allegedly committed by PDP and one of its notable candidate without any caution from the police.
He observed, “Recently we witnessed another brazen display of impunity and lawlessness when our governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, grassroots supporters at Mosan Okunola LCDA who were on a door to door campaigns were attacked leaving more than 10 vehicles damaged and scores wounded.
“On Sunday February 1, 2015, Mr. Segun Adewale, the PDP senatorial candidate for Lagos West 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 but Adewale failed woefully. Segun Adewale in apparent display of impunity and brigandage brazenly admitted that he went to attack Yayi because his campaign materials are being removed by Yayi’s supporters. This matter has been reported to the commissioner of police Lagos State and we wait for action.”
The APC leadership also 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 attempts to remove any illegally pasted political posters.
Igbokwe said the threat emboldens 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.
However, in a swift reaction to APC’s allegation, the PDP Publicity Secretary in Lagos State; Mr. Taofeek Gani, said the APC was guilty of the same offence as his party’s supporters have been attacked in recent times.
Gani said APC is the ruling party in the state and has all the apparatus working in its favour.
He said the APC was only raising the allegations because it is losing relevance, adding that many PDP supporters had either been killed or maimed in different parts of the state.
He sighted an instance of the PDP Senatorial candidate in Lagos West, Mr Segun Adewale whose campaign train was allegedly attacked and his posters removed by APC supporters.
On the alleged harassment of LASAA officials, Gani said the agency was an illegal body without any constitutional backing.
