The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has told the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Nigeria Police to stop fighting a lost battle, saying they can’t stop mass defection of APC members to its fold across the country.
Condemning Police attack on the Ondo deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, the PDP in a statement Sunday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to caution his men against dabbling into partisan politics.
The deputy governor is having irreconcilable differences with his boss, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and is said to be perfecting plans to dump the ruling APC for the leading opposition, PDP. But Police officers led by the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Bolaji Salami, reportedly stopped him from moving out of his official quarters at the government house on Saturday, following his frosty relationship with Akeredolu.
The PDP in a statement said, “The thoughtless and rude attempt to use the Police to stop the Ondo Deputy Governor from leaving the disorganized APC is symptomatic of the last kicks of a degraded and derelict political party that is now clutching at straws and can only resort to use of compromised security agents as face-saving measure.
“The APC is unnerved because Nigerians are no longer ready to stomach the deception and lies of 2015 as well as the impunity, political brigandage and the electoral fraud of 2019.
“The IGP Adamu must note that Nigerians have not forgotten and are no longer ready to accept the kind of atrocities that characterized previous elections under the APC, including the use of Police helicopter to assault and chase away voters in the November 16, 2019 Kogi state governorship election.
“Moreover, Nigerians are aware that despite the exposed ignoble roles played by unscrupulous security agents in the Kogi and other elections under the APC, no redressing action has been taken till date by the current hierarchy of the police to reassure the people. “The PDP therefore calls on the Police IG to immediately rein in his men and be on the side of the people, particularly in the forthcoming Ondo and Edo states governorship elections,” the party added.
A video trending on the Social Media showed the state police commissioner, Bolaji Salami, stopping Hon Ajayi from leaving the premises of the government house on Saturday night. However, Governor Akeredolu said allegations that he was responsible for the action taken by the Police against his Deputy was false.
A statement by Akeredolu’s Chief Press Secretary, Segun Ajiboye, described the report as a complete falsehood intended to play victim by the principal actors involved. Ondo State Police Commissioner said he is apolitical and his job entailed him to protect lives and property of citizens of the state.
The Ondo CP in a statement signed by the Police spokesman, ASP Tee-Leo Ikoro, explained that he went to the Ondo State Government House on Saturday night because policemen on ground could not settle the dispute between aides of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and the Deputy Governor.
He said he was informed that both aides of the Governor and the deputy were having a face off over the number of cars the Deputy could move out of the place at night.
