Date: 2011-04-04

The attention of the Kwara State Government has been drawn to the series of public incitement and fanning of religious crisis by opposition members with the sole aim of causing disunity among the people of the State.

Government is also aware of the series of satanic text messages sent to mobile phones of the innocent citizens and residents of the State as well as inciting pamphlets being circulated by some faceless groups, all in an attempt to deceive the unsuspecting public.

The text messages purportedly being sent by an unknown group that called itself Igbomina Parapo and the inciting pamphlets being circulated by another faceless group known as Concerned Kwara Christian Youths, were all calculated attempts by the shameless groups to cause ethnic distrust among the good people of the State and discredit the Peoples Democratic Party’s gubernatorial candidate in the next Tuesday’s election.

The mischievous text messages and the circulated leaflets, government is aware, are the handiwork of those in opposition when it became dawn on them that they could not win elections by cohesion, now indulged in various dubious means to discredit the PDP administration of Dr Bukola Saraki.

On the allegation that the PDP was adopting a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the governorship and deputy governorship positions, the party had given enough explanation leading to the nomination of Alhaji Isiaka Gold to beat the INEC’s deadline, who had since been substituted with Mr Peter Kishira, a Christian from Kwara North.

Not only has Mr. Kishira’s name been forwarded to INEC, the records have equally been corrected accordingly to reflect Kishira as the authentic PDP running mate to Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed in the April 2011 gubernatorial election in the State. This issue has long been settled with INEC as Kishira remains the running mate in the election.

The State Government hereby called on the good people of the State, Muslims and Christians, to disregard the text message in circulation as it has no genuine purpose, it is not supported by the State government or the Ilorin Emirate and has no backing of Orisun Igbomina, which is the only recognized umbrella body to speak for Igbomina indigenes both at home and in the Diaspora.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Police Command has apprehended a suspect in connection with the inciting text messages currently in circulation and is now making useful information to the police.

In the same vein, the command has also arrested one Alabi Solomon of Danialu area, Gaa Akanbi, Ilorin in connection with the inciting pamphlet in circulation to cause disharmony among the people of the State.

The accused person, who was believed to be working for a particular opposition party in the State has been arraigned in the Magistrate Court and was ordered to be remanded in prison custody by the trial Magistrate Olanikewu till may 17, 2011.

In view of the recent development across the country following the declaration of President Goodluck Jonathan by INEC, the police authorities in the country have been authorized to henceforth apprehend anybody caught with circulation of inciting materials or text messages which are presumed to trigger off crisis and detained till the end of the on-going general elections.

Mas’ud Adebimpe
Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor
19/04/2011