2011 ELECTIONS: EKITI PDP ACCUSES ACN OF HIRING THUGS

Ahead of this year general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) in Ekiti State has accused the State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) of assembling thugs that would unleash mayhem on the State during the elections.

State Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon. Lekan Adekanbi, who made this allegation in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti today, said each of the 177 wards in the State are to be provided with at least 10 thugs.

He alleged that fake mobile police uniforms are to be provided for the thugs by the ACN government in the State, adding that; “the thugs are already being assembled under the guise of a 10-man Committee in each of the wards.”

His words: “The ACN has concluded arrangements to invade Ekiti State with thugs before and during the coming general elections as the party did during the 2009 rerun governorship election.

“A 'ten-man committee' has been set up in each of the 177 wards in the State and members of this committee are now being trained on the use of arms like guns, petrol bomb and hand grenades.

“The ACN leaders, having realised that it might be difficult for the party to have appreciable showing at the general elections, owing to its growing unpopularity and imposition of candidates, decided to adopt what it termed 'The Ido-Osi Strategy' during the elections.

“We are aware that a top Niger-Delta militant and an Isreali have been assigned the task of training the thugs.

“We are also aware that at a meeting the ACN Senatorial candidate for Ekiti North, Mr. Olu Adetumbi held at Ifaki-Ekiti with all ward chairmen of the ACN in the five local councils making the Senatorial District, the ward chairmen were assured of 'adequate security' during the election.

“Similar meeting was also held in Ado-Ekiti by the ACN senatorial candidate, Mr. Babafemi Ojudu, just as all the 16 Local Councils caretaker chairmen have been directed to forward their proposal and logistic needs for the elections to the Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu.”

While urging the ACN leaders to rather sell their party to the electorate and mend their collapsing house of fraud instead of seeking to win elections through crude means, the PDP spokesperson said; “We in the PDP are at home with Ekiti people and that explains why we have always won elections here.

“We are prepared to mobilise the people to vote for us again. But if the ACN people feel that this time around, it will be possible for them to hijack ballot boxes, destroy votes, intimidate voters and burn INEC office as they did in 2009, we are prepared for them.”