By Saka Laaro,Ilorin.
The Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has called on the State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, to explain why he caused the release from prison of one Safi Abolaji (AKA Ojulari) who the Police recently described as a cultist and was arrested.
According to a statement signed by the Director (Publicity) Kwara State PDP Campaign Council, Mr. Kayode Ogunlowo, “Governor Abdulrasaq owes the people of Kwara State a solid explanation on why Abolaji was released from prison, how he was released, under what circumstance he was released and what purpose his release was to achieve.
“We notice how it was easy for the hirelings, acolytes, and supporters of Abdulrasaq to rush to the press to claim that the said Abolaji is a member of our party, the PDP. What remains to be explained is the Governor’s role in the recent release of the man in question from prison and what procedure was followed in achieving the release.
“We want it to be known that the PDP is a national party and the oldest in the country today. It has also ruled Kwara State for 16 years during which the state was known as one of the most peaceful, cleanest, and fastest developing states in the country. Also, during our time in office, we enacted a law to eradicate cultism and initiated policies that ensured that illegally acquired arms and ammunition were taken out of circulation and surrendered to law enforcement agencies.
“The PDP is not known for encouraging illegality or sponsoring violence against the citizens who form our electorate and who are the population that makes our state a complete entity. Unlike the APC which is beleaguered by internal crisis, constant physical attacks amongst its members and chieftains as well as verbal attacks between its chieftains that have continued to increase tension in the state, the PDP is an organization populated by decent and sophisticated people.
“We urge the police and members of the public to be cautious and be alert. The case at hand should be properly investigated. If the man in question, truly, and illegally possessed arms when he was arrested and had criminal reasons for being at the point where he was arrested, he should have his day in court.
“However, we should not allow people who lied their way into the government to continue deceiving us. The people of Kwara State know that the APC government at the Federal and State levels has failed. The hunger, inflation, the lack of money in circulation, the hardship created across the land, the food crisis, the high level of insecurity, and the uncoordinated manner of governing are indications of a failed government. Our people will not reward failure.
“In particular, we have been unlucky to have the present State Government which must rank as one of the worst governments in the country today. A government that has collected close to one trillion naira in the last 44 months, yet has not been able to initiate and complete a project.
“We notice the criminal defamation being sponsored by the agents of the present government on the arrest of the suspect, Abolaji, and we have responded by submitting a petition to all the security agencies so that they can rein in the loose cannon deployed by the governor to tarnish the image of decent people for partisan purposes. We will not accept continuation of 2019 propaganda by APC in 2023 to wheedle votes from uninformed Kwarans.
“We continue to urge our people to be circumspect over the desperate action of the drowning APC government as its chieftains hold on to the straw and seek to pull others down along with them,” the PPC spokesman stated.