Alleging clear bias on the part of the police, the governor in the petition to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Zone 8, also fingered Governor Segun Mimiko of Ondo State and the AIG Zone 11, Osogbo who he accused of going outside his territory to foist illegal police orders in Ekiti State.
The petition dated May 27, 2014 authored on behalf of the governor by the All Progressives Congress, APC chairman in the state, Chief Olajide Awe cited several acts of intimidation by Opeyemi and Fayose against the APC and its candidate and as such listed 18 persons to be interrogated on the issues.
The petition titled: 'Complaint against incessant attacks on APC members and property in Ekiti State by agents of the PDP and LP candidates', read thus: "We write to intimate you about the political developments in Ekiti State in the build up to the gubernatorial elections on June 21. You will recall that Ekiti State under the watch of Governor Kayode Fayemi has remained relatively peaceful in the last 42 months that he has been in the saddle.
The peace of the State has however suffered a serious breach since the beginning of politicking from candidates and agents of the People's Democratic Party, Mr. Ayodele Fayose and that of the Labour Party, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele.
We also wish to intimate you with the fact that the APC successfully concluded its campaign across the 131 towns in the state without recording any incident of violence. The Governor as the Chief Security Officer of the State, and as a lover of peace, is always preaching peace wherever he goes to campaign.
Unfortunately, as the Governor strives as much as possible to ensure peace before, during and after the election, the aforementioned candidates have been frustrating his efforts. They have resolved to make the State ungovernable and present an artificial state of insecurity in the State. Our members have been attacked in many towns where the PDP and Labour Party Candidates held their rallies.
The style of the PDP and LP candidates is usually the same. Once they are in a town, the thugs that always accompany the candidates who are mostly from outside the state would work with local thugs to unleash terror on any APC member in sight. Joints would be visited where APC members converge and would disperse them with hail of bullets. Billboards will be destroyed and our members would be maimed and sent out of town.
We chronicle below, instances where our members have been attacked, including a State Commissioner, who is over 65 years of age.
The petition also copied to the Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives, National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Director, Department of State Security ended with the following prayers: 1.We want you to use your good offices to prevail on the Ekiti State Police Command to be more alive to its responsibility and be fair to all parties.
A situation where a State Commissioner was almost murdered in the presence of an Area Commander who looked the other way does not augur well for the image of the Nigerian police and can lead to a breakdown of law and order where the people would be forced to defend themselves.
2.To call the police authorities in Zone 11 in Osogbo to order because they are in the habit of clandestinely releasing policemen to the candidate of the Labour Party through the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Raman Olusegun Mimiko. The AIG of that zone is also in the habit of sending policemen to harass APC officials in Ekiti-State even though the state does not fall under his jurisdiction.
3. We want your command to appeal to the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to stop using the policemen in his convoy as cover for thugs and other miscreants who are not licensed to carry arms but do so regularly. They are the thugs that have been terrorizing the State from their Akure base. A prominent commander of the thugs is Ade Basket whose name has featured prominently in this petition.
Via: Vanguard
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