The camp of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship Candidate for Lagos State has accused the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) of intimidating and indiscriminately arresting its supporters.
Mr Jimi Agbaje’s campaign organization raised the alarm against the backdrop of the recent arrest of 27 members of the PDP and attempts to mutilate his billboard.
It accused the police at Mosafejo Police Station of going from house to house to effect the illegal arrest and subsequent detaining of the PDP supporters in the area.
The 27 unjustly arrested and detained PDP men were named as: Lanre Odesomi, Dare Abiodun, Ayeni Oluwaseun, Segun Adewale, Biodun Adeleke, Yusuf Salami, Sunday Oguntayo, Ganiu Anifowose, Kasali Tunde.
Others are; Segun Owoseni, Wasiu Ganiyu, Adedimeji Rasaq, Ojo Morufu, Femi Bode, Matiu Oyeyemi, Ibrahim Saka, Ayobami Agbola, Samson Oluwatade, Soliu Olawale, Bamigboye Babatunde, Jonwa Olawale, Wasiu Adebayo,Owolabi Oluwataye
Also arrested; Wasiu Ganiu, Segun Adewale, Lukmon Adeniji, Lukmon Balogun
According to a statement today, the PDP Candidate’s team said APC’s strongarm tactics would not deter his resolve to win the coming election in a free and fair contest.
According to the statement, Agbaje was not unaware of the attempts to demoralize him and PDP members, saying, the arrest of his supporters over last Thursday’s fracas between factions of the National Union Of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Oshodi was part of the “operation clamdopwn” engineered by APC.
“As a peace loving person,let state from the onset that I rotally condemn the mayhem that happened in Oshodi last week, whatever the cause. I am a firm beliver in dialogue. And I am of the opinion that violence in whatever form must not be condoned by genuine lovers of peace
“I’m however disturbed by the partisanship displayed by the police in favour of APC. This to me is condemnable, given the fact that the police must be neutral at all times, expecially as we move towards the general elections,” he said.
According to a statement by Remi Adefulu of the Directorate of Media and Publicity, Jimi Agbaje’s campains organization, the PDP chieftain said police partiality portends grave denger for the nation’s democracy
He complained that some APC agents equally attempted to destroy his billboard last week in Ikorodu, but for the resitance of his supporters.
This he reasoned was uncalled for and an attempt to tamper with the peace of Ikorodu, where he enjoyed tremendous followership, like in other parts of Lagos.
“My advice is that the police should release our unjustly detained members uncondirionally because their continued detention is and unconstitutional.
“Let me reiterate once again that we have traversed the length and breath of Lagos and no single life was lost. We have demonstrateted that we have better ideas to make Lagos a place conducive to living for indigenes and non-indigenes,” he declared.
