Kwara APC, PDP trade blame over fracas
Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state over the “wanton destruction of lives and property caused by desperation and greed for political relevance”.
Reacting to the violence that trailed the PDP ward congress where one person was confirmed dead, the interim Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, said: “it is disturbing that PDP has extended its gangsterism to blood-letting and senseless killings in a state known for peace and harmony”.
But the caretaker committee chairman of PDP, Solomon Edoja, dismissed the APC allegation, saying the PDP remains the most peaceful party in the state. He accused the APC of masterminding the mayhem at the PDP secretariat.
It would be recalled that shooting in Ajikobi and Sango on Monday stalled the congress in various wards in Ilorin-west Local Government Area. The police confirmed the arrest of some factional members of the PDP.
Buhari said the fracas which took place at the PDP secretariat at Sango and Ajikobi central ward in Ilorin, has “once again brought to the fore the greed and selfishness of members of the PDP in the state”.
The statement added, “Ordinarily the APC would not have bordered itself with happenings in the PDP, but because of our concern for innocent people of the state who might be affected by the fracas”.
It called on the state police command to probe the killings at PDP secretariat with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Edoja in an interview with Daily Trust blamed the APC for allegedly being behind the disruption of PDP ward congress on Monday.
He, however, said the party’s appeal panel has swung into action to resolve crises emanating from the ward congress.
“Let me state clearly that PDP is the most peaceful of all the parties that exist in Kwara State. You recall that on March 3 when the president visited, not even a single soul was lost when we gathered over 100, 000 party members. I want to say for the umpteenth time that it is only those who want to destabilize the party that visited our secretariat. How can congresses be going on in the ward and a crop of thugs would come to the secretariat? All those people who want to participate in the congresses would naturally be in their wards. So it can only be the opposition that will go to the party headquarters to cause mayhem”, he said.