The African Democratic Congress(ADC) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police. Tunji Disu and Director-General Tunji Disu and Director-General Department of State Services(DSS) Adeola Ajayi over what it described as sustained pattern of violence and intimidation against its members.
The ADC at a news conference by the Director-General of its Governorship Campaign Organisation Bello Goronyo in Sokoto yesterday cited three incidents that happened between October 28 and 30.
According to the party its governorship candidate Manir Dan’iya was attacked by suspected All Progressives Congress(APC) thugs on October 30 at the Sultan Sadiq Abubakar International Airport Sokoto.
The October 28 incidents said the ADC were attacks on its women supporters on a peaceful solidarity march and the destruction of its campaign office in the state capital.
Goronyo said at the news conference which was attended by Dan’iya his running mate Bello Ambarura and state Chairman Abdullahi Maigwandu that vehicles belonging to the governorship candidate were smashed by the suspected armed thugs. He added that two DSS personnel attached to Dan’iya were detained by operatives of the state-owned security outfits including the Sokoto Marshals and Sokoto Community Guards.
The party said that ”no amount of intimidation threat and violent attacks” on Dan’iya and its other candidates for the forthcoming general election would ”subdue the wave of acceptance for them across the state.
‘ ADC is fast drawing more support and building ground ahead of the general elections in the state’ the ADC stated.
The ADC consequently asked the IG and DSS boss to among others carry out an independent investigation into the incidents prosecute the perpetrators and protect its candidates and supporters.
But the APC Chairman in the state Haruna Adiya dismissed the allegations as a propaganda campaign to distract the public from what he said were the ADC’s challenges.
Adiya said: ‘Initially they alleged that our supporters attacked their women. Now they have come up with another allegation that their governorship candidate was attacked on his way back from the airport after their late-night visit to former Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
”They further claimed that security operatives seized vehicles belonging to DSS personnel. Anyone familiar with the operations of security agencies would recognise how implausible such an allegation sounds.’
Adiya also faulted what he described as inconsistencies in the ADC’s account noting that while the party’s media aide claimed security operatives were deployed to prevent Dan’iya from entering Sokoto metropolis the candidate’s own statement indicated he had visited different locations in the city to pay condolence visits.
The APC state chairman stated that Governor Ahmed Aliyu who is currently in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah had consistently advised APC supporters against activities capable of creating tension.
He advised the ADC to address its internal challenges rather than drag the APC and the state government into its affairs.