In a press statement made available to SundiataPOST and signed Ojo Ilesanmi, national publicity secretary, the Ekiti Parapo Development Association, has condemned the violence that took place in Ekiti last weekend between supporters of the PDP and APC. The fracas left one person dead and several others injured.
The statement reads “Based on the accounts of the incident, it is clear that the symbolic sweeping away of the foot prints of the members of the Peoples Democratic PDP and supporters of the PDP governorship candidate, Ayo Fayose, including those of President Goodluck Jonathan, who had converged in the state capital, Ado-Ekiti for the PDP grand rally led to the outbreak of the unfortunate and avoidable violence.
“The Ekiti Parapo Development Association therefore, views the action of the APC in Ekiti State as a mark of provocation and disrespect for the office and person of President Goodluck Jonathan, the President, and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces and the number one citizen of the country.
“We note that in other climes, the office of the President of a country is accorded the utmost regard and respect, irrespective of political affiliation and differences.
“The Ekiti Parapo Development Association notes that the APC had held a similar mega rally in Ado Ekiti attended by all the leaders of the party to drum support for their party’s candidate without any molestation from the PDP and Fayose’s supporters.
“We further note that the PDP after the APC mega rally never used the party’s symbol to cause any mayhem or denigrate the integrity of any opposition party.
“Available evidence points to the fact that the APC and its supporters were the aggressors in the unfortunate incident.
“According to the state Chairman of PDP, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, ‘it was APC members who were on parade in the town, that provoked the violence by attacking an ‘Okada’ man who was carrying a passenger wearing a tee- shirt with Ayo Fayose inscription, who was killed and his killers removed the Ayo Fayose tee- shirt on him and replaced same with the vest of the APC to suggest it was one of their members that was killed by the PDP’.
“In light of the foregoing, we are of the strong view that Governor Kayode Fayemi’s claim of an alleged assassination attempt is an afterthought and should be disregarded.
“We note regrettably, that the governor had disregarded warnings by security agents who advised him against visiting the scene of the incident while the police were still battling to restore law and order as well as arrest the hoodlums who master-minded the violence.
“The Ekiti Parapo Development Association is also of the view that the agitation for the redeployment of the state Police Commissioner lacks merit and is baseless as security chiefs cannot be redeployed based on the whims and caprices of any political party. We view such a call as self-serving and politically motivated.
“We further call on all the citizens of Ekiti State to remain
law-abiding and shun all acts capable of derailing the governorship poll
slated for June 21, 2014. We urge them all to be vigilant and not allow
themselves to be used by any political party to ferment trouble.”
