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Segun Oni suspends political programmes to mourn victims of Ekiti East bye-election
By Rasaq Adebayo
A frontline governorship aspirant under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, said he has suspended all his political activities for the next seven days to mourn those who were killed during the bye-election at Ekiti East Constituency 1.
The former governor, who expressed sadness over the killings and maiming of innocent voters and a female police officer, described the incident as unfortunate and attack on Nigerian democracy.
Oni, in a statement made available to journalists by his Social Media Assistant, Saliu Akeem, said the incident was disheartening, wondering why innocent souls should just be taken in a poll conducted in only five electoral wards of the state.
Oni noted that some selfish politicians broke the electoral rules and INEC guidelines by moving around with armed thugs, armed illegal policemen and other law enforcement agencies during the election, intimidating, harassing, killing and maiming voters.
He insisted that people must not succumb to any intimidation but unite to push out such instrument of violence in future elections.
“I am not surprised because I already knew that the ruling party, APC, would want to rig the election in order to win by all cost and when you are not popular with the electorate but still wants to win by all cost, you will resolve to violence and this was what we saw in Ekiti East Constituency one election.
“I deeply commiserate with Distinguished Senator Biodun Olujimi, whose political unit the violent happened; the families and friends of those killed and all members of the PDP Family. I pray that God in His infinite mercies grants them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. May the souls of the deceased rest in perfect peace. I urge the law enforcement agencies to do all within their powers to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act for prosecution.”
Oni therefore called on the people with credible information to come out and assist the police in their investigation.
“I am constrained to remind the leadership of the APC that no man’s ambition is worth a drop of blood of any Ekiti citizen. We are a state of intellectuals and thinkers. Ekiti is the Fountain of Knowledge; we must limit our disagreements to a contest of ideas. There can be no room for violent thugs and barbarians in our State.”
“In Ekiti State and indeed all across the nation, we are locked in a battle against agents of darkness and destruction. Members of the PDP should please remain calm in the face of provocation. We are sure of victory in the postponed and subsistent elections in Ekiti State,” he stated.
