Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ondo State Governor Mr Rotimi Akeredolu has warmed the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against violence and thuggery, saying his administration will not tolerate thuggery and violence any longer.
Akeredolu said the violence and thuggery that characterised the recent primary election of the PDP where parts of the venue, the Dome, was vanderlize would no longer be tolerated by his governmemt.
He said his administration was disturbed by the development and appealed to the PDP to exercise restraint in deploying violence.
The Governor said he would not hesitate to deploy full weight of law on those found guilty of violence in order to protect the citizenry.
Akeredolu, who spoke through the state commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Donald Ojogo, said it was unacceptable and unimaginable that politicians would want to use violence to achieve personal aims.
He said he received credible reports that there was serious threat to lives and property during the PDP primary, which was held last Wednesday.
Akeredolu noted that recent trend of violence in the state was orchestrated following last Tuesday’s attack on the residence of his Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Alhaji Raheem Aminu.
He said his aide escaped by the whiskers but CCTV captured activities of the invaders.
He said “As a responsible government we are appealing to politicians to eschew violence because what we witnessed on the day of the PDP primary still remains unacceptable to us and government will not tolerate such any longer.
“We are appealing to the people not to repeat events of 1983 as some people have threatened. We don’t want to go back to that period.
“The contest must be seen to be a very peaceful one. It must be seen to be a brotherly one. We are appealing to everybody to eschew violence,” he added.
On reconciliation moves in the APC, Governor Akeredolu said nothing would be spared to ensuring peace returns to APC in the state.
The Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Zadok Akintoye while reacting, said the party is made up of peace loving individuals, saying the APC was more violent.
He denied any incident of violence during the last primary election of the party, saying that Akeredolu and APC are worried with the support that both the PDP and its governorship candidate, Mr Eyitayo Jegede enjoy from the people of the state.