By: Oluwatosin Adesola
The Governorship candidate of PDP in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede SAN, and the state leadership of the opposition party, PDP have condemned the unnecessary and ruthless destruction of properties in Akure yesterday which resulted in the burning of the PDP State Secretariat in Akure.
While Jegede spoke in a press statement, the State Chairman of the PDP, Hon Fatai Adams addressed a news conference this morning at the scene of the attack.
Jegede also condemned vandalization of the APC state Secretariat in Akure.
The statement reads, “the Governorship candidate of PDP in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede SAN, and the state leadership of the opposition party, PDP have condemned the unnecessary and ruthless destruction of properties in Akure yesterday which resulted in the burning of the PDP State Secretariat and vandalisation of the APC State secretariat amongst other destroyed properties in Akure.
“We must maintain peace at all times because this is critical to our future development and we must understand that peaceful resolution of issues rather than violence and destruction, remains the best method in conflict situations.
“He (Jegede) charged the protesters and people of Ondo State to embrace peaceful methods in all their endeavours and the Endsars peaceful protest should not be politicised.”
PDP REACTS, ACCUSES APC
Addressing newsmen, the state Chairman of the PDP, Fatai Adams said the ruling APC should be held responsible for allegedly burning down the PDP office yesterday.
Below is the full text of the press briefing;
PRESS BRIEFING.
Gentlemen of the press,
I am here to bring to the notice of the world the atrocity of APC in Ondo State in the last few months culminating in the burning down of our Secretariat yesterday 21st October 2020.
You all know that our youths are currently protesting against police brutality and other inadequacies of the APC led government in Nigeria for the past fourteen days or thereabout.
These youths have hitherto conducted themselves in peaceful manner. But in a dramatic turn of events, hoodlums took undue advantage of the protests.
This perhaps triggered their resolve to enter into APC party Secretariat along Oyemekun Road in Akure , packed out and set ablaze all the covid-19 palliatives meant for the cushioning of the effect of the pandemic on the masses but which were not shared for the targeted people as at the time of need.
The APC which is always fond of playing politics with virtually everything and which trademark is blame game and fault-finding, had to wilfully accuse the PDP of being the mastermind of the attack on its Secretariat and threatened to react in the same measure. Gentlemen, the APC had made good its threat and you can see that our Secretariat is now in rubbles. It has been razed down completely.
This wrong allegation against our party which had made the APC agents set the PDP Secretariat ablaze must be severally and roundly condemned by all peace loving people who know that the utterances and subsequent actions of APC could trigger public chaos of immense proportion if not carefully managed.
The APC was aware of its rejection by the people and its subsequent manipulation of the electoral process which led to its short-lived victory and possibly jittery of our party’s effort to approach the tribunal, thereby finding means to destroy documents that may be needed at the tribunal. They have yet again failed in their ignominious act.
Much as we elect to remain calm and law abiding even the face of this hottest provocation, we are using this medium to call on the Ondo State Commissioner of Police and other heads of security agencies in the State to hold APC accountable and liable for this ignoble act of arson in the overall interest of public peace and tranquility.
Thank you.
Hon. Fatai Adams
Chairman, PDP, Ondo State.
22nd October, 2020.