Yusuf Oketola
THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State of Osun has described the destruction of Senator Ademola Adeleke campaign billboards in several parts of Osogbo and other parts of the state as barbaric and dangerous plot to cause political crisis.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the PDP, Dr Akindele Adekunle, warned that ‘the resort to violence and desperation to prevent Osun people from making their leadership choice in the upcoming governorship election will backfire.
According to Adekunle, the people are more than ready to ensure that their rights to choose who administer their affairs is not tampered with.
He stated that the plot is to intimate and coerce the good people of Osun from voting for the PDP in the coming gubernatorial election.
The Chairman said the action will be matched not necessarily by equal measure of violence but by whatever it takes legally.
He said: “We must inform the whole world of a clandestine plan to unleash violence on Osun state by those who already feel rejected by overwhelming number of voters, thinking that this will scare them away from exercising their franchise on July 16.
“One of such plot is the willful destruction of Senator Ademola Adeleke billboards to reverse the increasing acceptability of the PDP candidate in all parts of the state.
“Let us, for the purpose of emphasis, warn those behind this plot that they will be matched, not necessarily by equal measure of violence but by whatever it takes legally to resist such attempt as to intimidate the good people of Osun State or coerce them into submission.
“This will mean we will not hesitate to mobilise Osun people against the violence that is being promoted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“It is on this note that we want to urge the whole world to hold the APC responsible for any breakdown of law and order in Osun as we will no longer watch destruction of our Candidate’s billboards or any other attack on our campaign materials go without a response.
“Osun people can attest to the fact that our campaign has been peaceful so far.
“In all our campaign so far, we did not involve in any kind of destruction or attack, but kept focus on our message of hope and revival of Osun state and the suffering masses.
“However, Let the APC not mistaken our peaceful disposition for cowardness, just as we warn that we will no longer condone their deliberate provocations. We are peace loving but will not be cowed by those who think the only route to leadership is violence. Osun people will not accept this barbarity anymore.”
The party called on security agencies to rise up to their primary responsibilities and ensure that political thugs do not have a field day in their act of destructions.
