PDP condemns arrest of Senator Rufai Ibrahim on eve of election

Admin l Friday, Feb. 22, 2019

ILORIN, Kwara – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded immediate and unconditional release of its Kwara South Senatorial candidate, Senator Rufai Ibrahim and other members of the party framed-up, arrested and detained by the Police in Kwara state.

The PDP holds that the continued detention of Senator Ibrahim on the eve of a crucial election, in which he is a lead contender, is completely provocative and urged the police to stop harassing, arresting and detaining its members on flimsy charges, as such will directly pitch security agents against the people in a manner that might spark off violent resistance with regrettable consequences.

“This resort to police brutality by the APC is a script by a losing team which seeks to introduce violence and use the police to execute their rigging plots. Nigerians will recall our vehement protest against the deployment of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s lackey, CP Kayode Egbetokun, as Kwara state Commissioner of Police, wherein we alerted of plots by the APC to use him to incite the people, cause pandemonium and pave the way for outright rigging in favour of President Buhari and all other candidates on the platform of APC”, the PDP said.

PDP, in clear terms cautioned the APC and their compromised security agents that nobody has the monopoly of show of strength. 

“Our members in Kwara or any other state, for that matter, are law-abiding but will never allow themselves to be subjugated by anybody, particularly in this critical electoral process. In this regard, our members should immediately activate their individual and collective defence mechanisms by using every legitimate means available, to resist the aggression of the APC and their compromised security agents as well as dismantle their rigging machineries.

“We know that the plan of the APC is to stop our members from accessing their polling centers. Our members should deploy all legitimate means, including lawful self-preservation strategies and tactical maneuvers to beat the aggressions, arrive at their respective polling centers and exercise their voting rights accordingly.

“The PDP therefore calls on the Inspector General of Police to immediately call CP Kayode Egbetokun to order. We also call on lovers of democracy all over the world to rise in condemnation of this wicked harassment and arrest of our members ahead of a crucial election”, the PDP said.