- APC and PDP have started trading blames ahead of by-election holding in Kwara state on Saturday, November 17
- The former ruling party alleged that some security operatives have been arresting their leaders in the state
- It was reported that the APC candidate for the bye-election, Raheem Olawuyi, was attacked by unknown gunmen on Thursday, November 15
There are indications that fear has gripped people of Kwara south senatorial district in Kwara state where bye-election for Irepodun /Isin/Ekiti/Oke-Ero federal constituency would take place on Saturday, November 17.
Vanguard reports that some security officers in police uniform have begun arresting leading politicians in the senatorial district.
Legit.ng gathered that Lukman Idris, a ward chairman of the former deputy governor of the state, Chief Joel Ogundeji, was reportedly arrested Thursday, November 15, by the some security operatives.
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It was reported that 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 Thursday night ahead of the bye-election.
The victims, according to Vanguard, were said to have been declared missing following the alleged invasion of their homes by some people suspected to be security operatives.
It was gathered that the development might not be unconnected with the alleged hatched plan of APC to intimidate the PDP members from the area against mobilising for the PDP's candidate in the election, Alhaji Saheed Alatise.
The APC's candidate in the election, Alhaji Raheem Olatunji, was reportedly attacked during his campaign tour of the federal constituency in Thursday, November 15.
The leader of the APC in the state, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has condemned the attack on the APC's candidate, saying that party would work with relevant agencies to ensure free, fair and credible election on Saturday, November 17, with adequate security before, during and after the election.
He said the election would begin a new chapter for the party and it would be used to show the world that the APC is intact and the preferred party.
Meanwhile, the concerned Kwara PDP youths have kicked against the purported arrest of their leaders by unknown gunmen ahead of the election.
In a statement issued on Friday, November 16, the the group's spokesperson, 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.”
Speaking on the incident, the police public relations officer in Kwara state, Ajayi Okasanmi, said he was yet to be informed of the development, saying, “I am not aware of this new incident.”
He however said: ”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.”
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC)'s candidate for the Irepodun/Ekiti/Oke-Ero and Isin federal constituency in the forthcoming by-election in Kwara state, Raheem Olawuyi, was on Thursday, November 15, allegedly attack by unknown gunmen.
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Source: Legit.ng