Date: 2015-03-23

Text of press conference addressed by the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Kwara State chapter, Alhaji Ishola Balogun Fulani on Sunday, 22nd of March, 2015.?

Kwara APC calls for arrest of PDP thugs over vandalism, violence.

Good evening, gentlemen of the press.

P?lease permit me to commence this press conference with a quote by the leader of Indian Nationalist Movement, Mahatma Gandhi, which goes thus: "An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind"?. Like Gandhi rightly noted, our party also believes revenging the perpetual and unending attacks on our members in Kwara State by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not an option.

The people of Kwara State ?are worried and disturbed about the violent activities with which the PDP has been conducting its campaign rallies in Kwara State. Within any 24 hours duration, if APC members are not attacked, billboards sponsored by the APC and its candidates will be destroyed.

I have called this Press Conference to address the grave challenges threatening credible and peaceful elections in Kwara State at this very critical time. Just 6 days to the rescheduled date of the presidential election, the PDP is working hard to make the election anything but credible and peaceful in Kwara State.

Events in Kwara State in the past few weeks have shown that the PDP has a grand plot to cause widespread violence, ignite the atmosphere of insecurity and violence in a failed attempt to cause voters apathy during the forthcoming elections.

It is on record that armed members ?of the PDP recently attacked the convoy of Mrs Aishat Buhari, wife of our presidential candidate. That attack was the height of irresponsibility on the part of the PDP. It should interest the people of Kwara State that till today, neither the PDP nor its chairman has deemed it worthwhile to condemn the unfortunate incident.

The particular refusal of the PDP to offer a simple apology to Mrs Aishat Buhari, the APC and the people of Kwara State on the unfortunate incident is the clearest indication yet in recent times that the PDP is not only a sponsor of violence but also a proud and unrepentant sponsor of violence. On Saturday, armed thugs belonging to the PDP went on rampage as usual. After a PDP rally at Osi in Ekiti local government of Kwara State, armed thugs belonging to the PDP engaged in a shooting spree. Machetes and knives were freely used on APC members in the town. The sporadic shootings by the PDP thugs forced many residents of the town to scamper for safety.

At the junction of Obbo-Aiyegunle, about five (5) billboards mounted directly opposite our local government secretariat were destroyed by PDP thugs.

The PDP thugs also attacked some of our members at Obbo-Aiyegunle community on the same day.

While the PDP thugs returned from Obbo-Aiyegunle to Osi, a filling station owned by a member of APC was completely cordoned off. Many valuable and expensive assets of the filling station were destroyed and damaged. The owner of the filling station escaped death by whisker.

The owner of the filling station was later trailed to his home and was brutally attacked by PDP thugs.

The people of Kwara State should be wary of the PDP. We urge Kwarans to be vigilant and security-conscious before, during and after the 2015 general elections.

?We have also gathered from informed sources within the PDP that the PDP has printed thousands of APC branded T-shirts. These APC branded ?T-shirts have been distributed to PDP thugs across the state especially within Ilorin metropolis. The PDP thugs have been mobilised to cause widespread violence including but not limited to destruction of vehicles. Starting from Monday, 23rd of february, 2015, the PDP intends to begin this criminal activities with a failed bid to hang it on our party.

In the light of the above, we call on the Kwara State Police Command to immediately arrest the following people; Mr Shola bamidele, Mr Ibrahim Joe Benson, Mr Femi Ako, Mr Isaac America and Mr Gbadebo Ayeni, ?for their roles in the violence and attack of APC members at Osi and Obbo-Aiyegunle on Saturday.

These notorious individuals are known PDP agents who have been indicted by the residents of Obbo-Aiyagunle and Osi of involvement and culpability in the unfortunate incident.

Until, these arrests are effected, the highly-publicised determination of Kwara State Police Command ?to curb political violence in Kwara State will remain mere words and rhetoric.

The residents of Osi and Obbo-Aiyegunle communities have enhanced the job of the Police by providing relevant information on the incident. The onus lies on the Police Command to do its job.

Thanks for listening.