The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the Kwara South Senatorial candidate, Senator Rufai Ibrahim and other members of the party arrested and detained by the Police in Kwara state.
The PDP in a press statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary and Director, Media & Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, Kola Ologbondiyan warned that the continued detention of Senator Ibrahim on the eve of a crucial election, in which he is a lead contender, is completely provocative.
It also cautioned the police to stop harassing, arresting and detaining its members on flimsy charges, as such will directly pitch security agents against the people in a manner that might spark off violent resistance with regrettable consequences.
The statement read, “This resort to police brutality by the APC is a script by a losing team which seeks to introduce violence and use the police to execute their rigging plots.
“Nigerians will recall our vehement protest against the deployment of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s lackey, CP Kayode Egbetokun, as Kwara state Commissioner of Police, wherein we alerted of plots by the APC to use him to incite the people, cause pandemonium and pave the way for outright rigging in favour of President Buhari and all other candidates on the platform of APC.
The PDP, in clear terms, cautioned the APC and their compromised security agents that nobody has the monopoly of show of strength.
“Our members in Kwara or any other state, for that matter, are law-abiding but will never allow themselves to be subjugated by anybody, particularly in this critical electoral process.
The party called on its members to immediately activate their individual and collective defence mechanisms by using every legitimate means available, to resist the aggression of the APC and their compromised security agents as well as dismantle their rigging machineries.
“We know that the plan of the APC is to stop our members from accessing their polling centres. Our members should deploy all legitimate means, including lawful self-preservation strategies and tactical manoeuvres to beat the aggression, arrive at their respective polling centres and exercise their voting rights accordingly.
The PDP further called on the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to immediately call CP Kayode Egbetokun to order.
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“We also call on lovers of democracy all over the world to rise in condemnation of this wicked harassment and arrest of our members ahead of a crucial election,” the party said.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force arrested Ibrahim following allegations he masterminded the violence that broke out in Ojoku, Kwara State.
The incident which was said to have taken place on Tuesday night left at least two people dead.
Speaking on the incident, Kwara police spokesperson Ajayi Okasanmi said on Friday morning: “We invited him for questioning on Thursday, and he was with us for several hours.”
However, Ibrahim’s associates have insisted he was still in police custody as of Friday morning, a claim which Okasanmi said he could neither confirm nor refute.
Ibrahim, of the Peoples Democratic Party, was accused of sending a group of armed attackers against Lola Ashiru, his All Progressives Congress challenger in Kwara South.
