••• Promises to blackmail police to submission
The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged security agencies in the state to be professional and act in line with the dictate of the oath of engagement as the country’s general election holds in few days time, stressing the need for them to be neutral and not allow themselves to be cowed by unscrupulous elements in the society.
According to a press release issued on Sunday,signed by PDP Chairman, Osun State chapter, Dr Akindele Adekunle noted that:
“The PDP gave this charge in a statement signed by its Caretaker Chairman, Dr Akindele Adekunle on Sunday, noting that the call became necessary in the light of the boasts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of hijacking the Department of State Service (DSS) in the country and Osun State in particular in covering up its heinous activities before, during and after the general elections.
“Dr. Akindele who also accused the APC of plans to blackmail the Police to look away from its violent activities, said the PDP warns against breakdown of law and order in the state if the APC truly have the security agencies handicapped as boasted.
“There is no question about the fact that the APC has chosen violence to lord itself over the people in the coming elections. From Ife to Ila, Ikire to Osogbo, and many other parts of the state, PDP members, and by extension, Osun people have come under increasing violent attacks from APC thugs,” the statement noted.
“Our expectation as a party was that security agencies will step in and go after the violent actors to keep the state safe. We are however shocked to hear of the APC public boast that it already had the DSS under its firm control and will spare its militias from questions of the heinous activities being perpetrated on daily basis.
“For the Police, the APC is exploring blackmail to make sure that it does not look its way as it unleashes terror and scare our members and supporters from the poll. Such is the extent that the APC is prepared to go just to force itself on Osun people who are averse to the party going by their past terrible experience with the outgone party .
“The PDP tasked the DSS and the Police to focus on their primary objective of security, warning that failure to checkmate the desperation of the APC may end up throwing Osun state into a serious crisis, an objective the Apc is working towards.
“Security agencies, to our understanding, owes their allegiance to Nigerians, not a party, and this means that their priority should be on keeping them safe. This is the simple request of our party to security agencies in the state as we go to the poll.
“No effort should be spared in apprehending violent actors imported into Osun by the APC and bringing them to account for their crimes. Our party will continue to tow the path of peace not minding the relentless provocations by the APC, but we must stress that there is always a limit to how long people can fold our arms.”
