LG Poll: Defy APC Tactics, Elect Credible Candidates, Ogun LP Tells Voters | The Guardian Nigeria news

Ahead of local government elections in Ogun State, Labor Party candidates vying for the positions of chairman and councilors in the election have been subjected to a series of brutal attacks by people suspected of being political hires of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking amid the spate of attacks on the opposition party in various parts of the state capital, the party’s State Secretary for Publicity, Tokunbo Peters, said the first of the attacks occurred on Tuesday, November 12, in Ewekoro Local Government. The area where suspected APC thugs brandishing batons and other dangerous weapons brutally attacked the chairmanship candidate of the Labor Party in Ewekoro Local Government Area, Honorable Alani Elijah Juwon and his wife in front of his wife’s shop in Ewekoro. They were saved from the attackers by the timely intervention of neighbors and passers-by, and later he lodged an official complaint about the incident with the Itori police station.

However, another incident occurred when the Labor Party Chairman of Abeokuta South Local Government Area, Honorable Kenny Owolabi, was also attacked outside the First Bank, Sapon area of ​​Abeokuta and injured in the leg.

He is still being treated in an unknown hospital.

It was established that earlier, Owolabi was threatened to withdraw from the election campaign.

Peters added that in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, suspected attackers armed with APCs invaded the residence of the Labor Party Chairmanship candidate, Honorable Olufemi Thomas, in the early hours of Thursday, November 14.

He added: “They tried to break into his flat thinking he was at home. But the Labor candidate, who has received threats since the start of his campaign, has taken himself and his family to a secret location. When the attackers discovered that the apartment was empty, they left with a warning to withdraw from the race.”

He noted that Labor Party chairmanship and councilor candidates in Ogun East have also been subjected to similar harassment and intimidation, stressing that in Ijebu-Ode, Odogbolu and Sagamu Local Government Areas, banners and placards of Labor Party candidates are being torn down by alleged thugs with APCs. at the same time, candidates are threatened to withdraw from the political struggle. Chairmanship and councilor candidates in Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu local government areas had to cancel their campaign rallies three times due to security concerns.

He stressed that the leadership of the Labor Party in Ogun State recalled that the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun had earlier declared that there was no opposition in Ogun State and boasted that the APC was going to sweep all polling stations in Ogun State.

He said: “The Labor Party therefore sees this spate of attacks on its candidates as an attempt by the ruling APC government to force the Labor Party, which is the main opposition in the state, into submission and possibly withdraw from the election. But the Labor Party will not and will not be cowed by these vile attacks and anti-democratic tendencies of the ruling party.”

The State Publicity Secretary of the party has said that the Labor Party in the state absolutely does not understand why the ruling APC government is afraid of a level playing field.

He said, “Elections are not do-or-die affairs. If a party or candidate is unpopular, they will be rejected by the voters in the elections. The ruling APC government has failed miserably in Ogun State. They have nothing to show for their achievements, so they resort to intimidation and violence.”

The leadership of the party in the state has called on the police, DSS and all other security agencies in the state to ensure tight security at polling stations and assembly centers during Saturday’s election. They must protect all Labor candidates, constituency agents, data collection agents and voters from harassment and intimidation before, during and after the election.

They further called on the good people of Ogun State to defy the anti-democratic antics of the ruling APC government and come out en masse to cast their votes to bring about the much needed change and save the state from the shackles of an incompetent APC government. .

The Labor Party has also informed its supporters and the general public that the party’s campaigning for Saturday’s local elections will be suspended until 12 midnight tonight, Thursday 14 November 2024.

He said the party is not responsible for any campaign jingle broadcast on radio or television and any campaign advertisement published in newspapers, blogs or social media platforms after midnight today, Thursday, November 14, 2024.

He urged the State Election Judge, OGSIEC and all concerned bodies to be aware of the development.