By Rotimi Ojomoyela
The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti state has expressed concern over the “increasing wave of violence in the state,” saying that if the dangerous development was not nipped in the bud, it could affect the June 21 governorship election.
Chairman of the Party in Ekiti state, Chief Jide Awe, raised the alarm yesterday while addressing newsmen at the party Secretariat in Ado-Ekiti.
Awe alleged that information reaching them revealed that the opposition was planning to attack the state Government House and the party’s secretariat with explosive device.
The party also fingered the Police Command in Ekiti state and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps as constituting a major opposition to APC in the state, saying that “if not for partisanship, they could not have been watching when a serving Commissioner, Mrs Ronke Okunsanya was being attacked in the presence of opposition thugs in Efon Alaaye on Sunday.”
Awe said: “The party has it on good authority that members of opposition were planning to detonate bomb at the Government house and also in our secretariat. We have to take extra caution. The police that would have dealt with the situation have been partisan and this is highly unfortunate.”
However, the Ekiti Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Victor Babayemi, absolved the police of partisanship, he described the statement from the APC as “very unfortunate; they are only trying to make the police the scapegoat and we will not tolerate that.”
Also, the Chairman, Media and Publicity, Ayo Fayose campaign organisation, Gboyega Aribisogan, who refuted the APC allegation, said: “The rate at which law abiding residents of Ekiti State are being attacked by the APC thugs calls for serious concern, and if nothing is done urgently, anarchy looms in the state.
“Part of their plans is to announce the results of Ekiti election in Abuja. Ekiti election is a test case to what will happen in 2015. But we are determined to resist them and we shall ensure that this election is free and fair.”
He also accused the Governor of Ondo state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, of being responsible for the violence that occurred in Ikere Ekiti between LP and APC members during Hon Opeyemi Bamidele’s rally in the town.
Awe said: “Mimiko cannot make Ekiti a vassal State. Ekiti will resist him at the appropriate time. We will tell Ade Basket who is the leader of thiugfs in Ondo state that Ekiti cannot be their abode. We will be vigilant to protect our people against the opposition onslaught.”
The Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisation (AFCO), described as animalistic, barbaric, and condemnable, attack on the convoy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Ayodele Fayose, at Fajuyi Roundabout, Ado-Ekiti, by All Progressives Congress (APCP thugs.
AFCO Director of Media and Publicity, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan, said in a release issued yesterday, that APC thugs attacked Fayose’s personal vehicle at about 1pm at Fajuyi Park in Ado-Ekiti, believing that the PDP candidate was in the vehicle.