From Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
The Senoir Special Assistant to Ekiti State Governor on Public Communication, Mr Segun Dipe has urged the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in Ekiti State to stop chasing shadow over the indiscriminate arrest of hoodlums at Are-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government.
He said the party should bury its head in shame, instead of seeking unnecessary attention and displaying its usual desperation to score undeserved political point.
Dipe, while reacting to the allegation of indiscriminate arrest levied by the opposition party against Gov. John Kayode Fayemi and the security operatives in the state by the opposition party.
According to a release earlier signed by the Media Aide to the former governor Ayo Fayose, Mr Lere Olayinka said, armed policemen invaded Anisulowo Resorts in Are-Ekiti, owned by Chief Dipo Anisulowo, Director General of the PDP Campaign Council in Ekiti State.
Olayinka, who is also the Director of Media and Publicity of the Atiku/Obi Presidential Campaign Council in Ekiti State, hinted that the raid took place in the night before the postponed Presidential election, and “more than 10 people” were arrested on the Saturday night.
Dipe, in his argument said Olayinka was, as usual, economical with the truth. “He failed to tell us the true identity of those arrested and their mission at the resort, gathering in such number on the night of such an important election.”
“PDP should tell the whole world whether those arrested were indigenes of Are-Ekiti or not, or they were on any electoral assignment in the town.”
“As an indigene of the town, I was present in the town that night, and I can tell PDP and Lere that those arrested were suspects and that the police acted on a tip-off by the indigenes of the town who felt uncomfortable with their presence.
Hinting that the Saturday night arrest was not the first to be carried out in the town during the week of election, Dipe advised PDP chieftains in the state to call their thugs to order and stop unleashing them on the innocent people of the state like mad dogs.
“Rather than embarking on redherring, teaching the security operatives how to do their job or throwing their usual tantrum at the governor of the state, methinks these recalcitrant people should simply tow the line of the new found peace in our state and stop creating security threats by littering the state with hired hoodlums in anticipation of formenting crisis during election.”
“This election is a different one from those they have been conducting in the past. The president has assured us that there would be zero tolerance for ballot snatching and other acts of hooliganism on election day. We sympathise with PDP, knowing that the opposition party cannot survive in such an atmosphere of sanity.”
“No party can teach the security operatives their jobs. The State Governor is the Chief Security Officer and he is not prepared to take instructions from PDP or anyone on how to ensure that lives and properties are secured. The security operatives will also not favour any party in doing their job.”
Dipe said it was contrary to reason or commonsense for PDP, or any political party for that matter, to want to intimidate the security operatives. Rather, anyone who suspects any strange gathering or movement in their community should not hesitate to quickly alert the security operatives “like we have done in Are-Ekiti.”
“The police in the state have showed their preparedness to ensure sanity. We, the people, should cooperate with them instead of nitpicking,” Dipe said.