TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE ON PLANNED ATTACK ON PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF APC, GEN. MUHAMMADU BUHARI IN EKITI STATE HELD ON 22nd JANUARY, 2015, AT THE PARTY SECRETARIAT, ADO-EKITI Gentlemen of the press. You are welcome to this yet another press conference coming just two days after I invited you here to brief you on various attacks on our members, their vehicles and posters of the candidates of our great party. You we recall that we had at various times raised the alarm on attacks on our honourable members of the House of Assembly after the police in cahoots with Governor Ayodele Fayose provided security for the seven members of PDP to impeach the Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin. The Speakers lodge and office were locked up. Shortly afterwards, other members, including Peter Agidi, Folorunso Ogundele, Sunday Adu Clement, Yomi Daramola, Deputy Speaker Tunji Orisalade,all members of Ekiti Assembly, and Hon Ife Arowosoge narrowly escaped assassination when gunmen stormed their houses but they missed their targets. You will also recall that Omirin escaped assassination attempt and it took the Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, to provide security for him that night after escaping assassination. All these premeditated attacks were reported to the police, but from our observation, the police have either been compromised or are helpless in the face of executive lawlessness. During our last press conference two days ago, our great party raised the alarm over plan by the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party to attack APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, when he visits Ekiti State on Saturday January 24, 2015 on a campaign rally. When we got the report, we thought it necessary to call the attention of Nigerians and the world about the potential danger posed by Governor Ayodele Fayose to free and fair presidential elections and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians living in Ekiti State. We also pointed out his death wish advertisement on General Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of our party. A day later, a plot to assassinate General Buhari during his presidential campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti was uncovered and we immediately cried out to the public and police. This was preceded by the governor boasting around that he had Aso Rock support in whatever he would do to ensure victory for President Jonathan. This was after he publicly said that President Jonathan was too soft and so the President should put him in charge to enable him win the presidential election. We were on this when we had it on good authority that the Ekiti PDP had taken delivery of DSS T-shirts, trousers and shoes to be given to some OPC members to wear on campaign day. Their plan is to shoot into the air to cause chaos and in the stampede, Buhari will be shot. The OPC members were recruited by the self-styled speaker of the House of Assembly, Dele Olugbemi, himself a member of OPC, Faseun faction, to unleash mayhem on APC members on their way to the campaign grounds as PDP did to APC in Rivers State. The OPC members are already in town hired as task force men and are the ones removing APC candidates posters across the state attacking seen wearing APC vests. Our party had earlier petitioned the National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd), on the escalation of crimes shortly after Ado-Ekiti jail break. We complained to the NSA on the redeployment to Ekiti State the policemen that helped Fayose to unleash terror on the opposition during his first term. Specifically, we pointed out that Fayoses ADC, Timothy Gbenga Joseph; Moses Usman and Usman Shaba, who were indicted by President Obasanjo Security Report on Political Killings in Ekiti State during Fayoses first term are back in the state under a special request by Fayose for their redeployment. In that security report, Timothy Gbenga Joseph was recommended for immediate redeployment from the Government House and his criminal prosecution over his roles in Ifaki and Ikere killings. We noted in the petition that since their arrival, tempo of attacks had increased. Up till this moment, Dasuki has not acknowledged our petition let alone addressing it. Silence is also the word from the Presidency. This criminal silence has emboldened Fayose to carry out more daring attacks on members of our party. Last week, we cried out over plan by Fayose to start arresting our leaders ahead of the presidential rally to decimate attendance at the rally and put fear in the minds of our supporters. This was after he said publicly that he didnt want to see APC posters anywhere across the state. He also said he wanted to win all the elections at all costs whether people vote for PDP or not. Just last night, OPC members in DSS, Army and Police uniforms and backed by official policemen who are currently being housed in the Adesua Lodge of the Government House were at our party secretariat to attack the place. Shortly before their arrival, the streetlights along Ajilosun Street where the secretariat is located were switched off. They started shooting and destroying anything in sight. They had earlier visited several parts of the state shooting and destroying the posters of our candidates. In Ilejemeje, the governor ordered the men to arrest Honourable Segun Erinle. Good Samaritans among other set of policemen hinted Erinle and so the honourable member ran away before their arrival. The latest is that as a prelude to his plan to assassinate General Buhari, Fayose has planned a rally for Saturday, January 24, to coincide with Buhari rally in the state capital, even though INEC rule prevents two parties holding rallies at the same time in the state capital. The OPC members in army, DSS and police uniforms are to invade the place, shoot sporadically to cause stampede and in the chaos that will ensue, General Buhari will be shot. We want to make it clear that presidential election is governed by federal law that allows both Jonathan and Buhari to paste their posters without attacking members on either side. From all indications, it is clear that the commissioner of police and Director of DSS are helpless, and this means Fayose is above the law. Since we cannot fold our arms and allow Fayose to kill us, we may have no other choice than to resort to self-help defending ourselves. We want Fayose to know that he does not have monopoly of violence and we are warning him for the last time that enough is enough as attempt to provoke us will be met with fierce counter-force. Taiwo Olatubosun APC State Publicity Secretary January 22, 2015
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 08:20:50 +0000
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