THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in Oyo State, Seyi Makinde on Tuesday called on security agencies, religious leaders and traditional rulers to call all political gladiators to order to and sheath swords, saying the political violence in the state is assuming a dangerous trend that must be addressed.
Makinde made this known during a press conference held at the Omi Tuntun office, Iwo Road, Ibadan.
Following the commencement of full-blown political campaign for the 2019 election, there have been series of attack on some political parties which have claimed lives of innocent people while others have sustained the varying degree of injuries.
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According to him, ” I had addressed the issue of political violence and thuggery in the course of the on-going campaign, it has become even more urgent on my part, that a formal pronouncement be made to drive home the implication of complacency in this very serious development.
“Apart from a few skirmishes here and there, the spate of political thuggery and violence is assuming a worrisome dimension that should be of grave concern to all. In the past two weeks alone, violent incidents have been witnessed across the state in places like Ogbomoso, Igbo-ora, Ojoo, Omi Adio, Oke-Ado and only yesterday in Oyo.
“At a time when electioneering campaign has reached the final lap, there is a need for our security agencies to move fast to douse further tension and save lives and properties.
“We strongly recommend that both the Commissioner of Police and his Director of State Security counterpart must call an emergency meeting of leaders of all the political parties and commit them to an undertaking of peace.
“Our people are already traumatized as a result of grinding poverty and avoidable lack and it will be ungodly to saddle them with gory scenes of bloodletting just because some politicians are scared of relinquishing power that is not a birthright. Yorubas say, “Oosa, b’ole gbemi, fimile bose bami”.
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“Oyo state is the political capital of the South West and any uncontrolled political violence if not quickly nipped in the bud can set the tone for escalation and spiral across the land.
“I want to join our religious leaders and traditional rulers to ask we politicians to sheath our sword, call our followers to order and preach peace because our political differences must not be allowed to translate into street wars. Our ambition is not worth the blood of innocent citizens who struggle daily to make ends meet.”
On the accusation by the ruling party, APC, Makinde dried the party, saying the party has no right to chose events he will attend to him.
He said, “the accusation of the APC that I deliberately avoided the BBC organized gubernatorial debate. Our campaign team had fixed our schedule for Ibadan South East weeks before the BBC invited me to a debate which fell on the same day. I, therefore, used my discretion to chose to meet our people at Oranyan, Oke odo, Felele, Orita aperin, Beere and Odinjo among other local areas. The APC cannot arrange my schedule for me.
“In any case why did the APC not raise the similar alarm on Wednesday, January 16 when I attended the first ever Farmers Public Debate and Mr Bayo Adelabu who was similarly invited did not turn up and neither did he attend the Radio Nigeria- organized gubernatorial debate last Sunday to which he was expressly invited. I was there. Let APC stop mischief and accusing others of what they are guilty of.”
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