Date: 2015-03-19

The Mandate 2015 Campaign Organisation strongly and wholeheartedly condemns the unjustified shooting of an innocent student by members of the Kwara PDP yesterday at Agbamu in Irepodun Local Government, Kwara State.

It is extremely worrying that it has become the general trend of the Kwara PDP to cause violence and mayhem wherever the go under the guise of campaigning. They have engaged the services of gun-totting hooligans and thugs to carry out attacks on members of the public including supporters of the All Progressives Congress.

The catalogue of such violent incidents by PDP in Kwara State are too numerous to list. To be sure, we recall that before the postponed elections date in February, PDP unleashed unprecedented mayhem and violence in all parts of the Kwara State. This wanton violence has escalated. In January, the convoy of His Excellency, Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed was subjected to attack by PDP members whilst enroute to a Town Hall meeting in Kaiama. This week, PDP supporters took to stoning the convoy of Hajia Buhari during her visit to Kwara.

This latest shooting of an innocent student who simply refrained from welcoming the PDP's so called campaign team and remained in her father's house is detestable and abominable. Quite rightly, the student was exercising her constitutional right to freedom of speech by shouting "Change" only to be replied with a hail of bullets. It is to be observed that the common denominator of the latest tranche of violence is that the violent attacks are directed at those who are preaching "Change". We therefore believe that there is a direct link between these attacks and the callous and malodorous incitement by Patience Jonathan for people to stone anyone preaching change.

We strongly call on the police to investigate this matter and bring all the perpetrators to book, together with their sponsors in PDP, no matter how highly placed. If the Police and the Attorney General of the Federation fail to bring the perpetrators to book, we shall be forced to seek legal redress for the victim through our Courts or other appropriate external institutions.

We believe that political campaigns should be about canvassing for votes through persuasion and track record of performance and not through intimidation and violence. Mandate 2015 Campaign Organisation of Kwara APC wants to be able to carry out its campaign program without being in fear of, and subjected to, shootings and other violent attacks by PDP supporters.

Rt. Hon. Razak Atunwa Esq
Director-General
Mandate Campaign Office