Palpable tension now gripped the Kwara south senatorial district of Kwara state where today’s bye-election for Irepodun /Isin/Ekiti/Oke-Ero federal constituency of the state will take place as security officers in police uniform have begun cracking down on leading members of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the senatorial district.
Already, one Mr. Lukman Idris who is the ward chairman of former deputy governor of the state, Chief Joel Ogundeji in Iwo in Isin local government council area of the state and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Chief Joseph Adeniyi from Egosi in Oke-Ero local government council area of the state was reportedly arrested Thursday night by these suspected security operatives in police uniform in the state.
Besides, scores of the PDP members in Ajase-Ipo in Irepodun local government council area of the state have also been declared missing in the wee hours of yesterday’s night ahead of today’s by-election.
The victims according to Newsflash247 findings were said to have been declared missing following the alleged invasion of their homes by some people suspected to be security operatives.
It was also gathered that, though unknown gun men did not meet Chief Adeniyi at home when they invaded his home, but they took away his son who was said to be a soldier at Egosi town in Oke-Ero local government council area of the state.
Newsflash247 reliably gathered that this development might not be unconnected with the hatched plan of APC to intimidate the PDP members from the area against mobilising for the PDP candidate in the election, Alhaji Saheed Alatise.
However, the APC candidate in the election, Alhaji Raheem Olatunji has been reportedly attacked during his campaign tour of the federal constituency on Thursday.
Though he was unhurt during the attack but the ugly development has caused a lot of tension in the area.
The leader of the APC in the state Alhaji Lai Mohammed has condemned the attack on the APC candidate saying that. party will work with relevant agencies to ensure free, fair and credible election on Saturday with adequate security before, during and after the election.
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He said the election will begin a new chapter for the party and it will be used to show the world that the APC is intact and the preferred party.
However, concerned Kwara PDP youths have kicked against the purported arrest of their leaders by unknown gunmen ahead of the election.
In a statement issued on Friday signed by the spokesperson,Mr. Akeem Iyanda said that the ugly development was meant to intimidate the PDP members from voting during the poll.
The group stated that “This action of the security operatives is not only illegal and barbaric but a violation of fundamental human rights.
“More so, such actions constitute a threat to our nascent democracy and also represent a gross abuse of state institutions by the APC-led Federal Government.
“We call on the media, civil society organisations, local and international observers and the general public to take note of this primitive show of power and other pre-election intimidation tactics of the FG and APC”.
Contacted, the state police command Public Relations Officer, Ajayi Okasanmi said he was yet to be informed of the development, saying, “I am not aware of this new incident”.
He, however, said that ” I will make the inquiry on the development so as to know the true position of things as regards the arrest of PDP chieftains by some security operatives that invaded the homes of the PDP chieftains”.
