Dayo Johnson – Akure
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the governorship election in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede, and his party have dissociated themselves from the ploy to disrupt the flag-off rally of the Zenith Labour Party scheduled to hold in Ore, Odigbo council area of the state today.
The Director-General of the Eyitayo Jegede Campaign Organisation, Akin Adaramola said in Akure that the plan was to adore the PDP branded vests and face caps and disrupt the rally thereby misleading the public to thinking that such thugs are PDP supporters.
Adaramola in a statement said” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, have dissociated themselves from the ploy by a prominent political party in the state to storm Zenith Labour Party’s campaign flag-off at Ore in PDP vests, Fez-caps, and Jegede’s memorabilia, and disrupt the event on Saturday.
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“lt has come to our notice that the prominent political party has concluded plans to invade the venue of Zenith Labour Party’s campaign rally flag-off tomorrow, Saturday, September 19, 2020, to unleash mayhem and disrupt the campaign.
“We are bothered about this plot because the party in question has cloned and printed PDP T-shirts, fez- caps, and various items printed with our governorship candidate’s names and images which they would wear and decorate themselves with as a decoy while going on the heinous mission with a branded bus with the name of Eyitayo Jegede and his pictures.
“We, therefore, dissociate our party, our candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, and his running-mate, Hon. Ikengboju/Gboluga from this plot or any other one to attack or disrupt the ZLP campaign rally flag-off at Ore or anywhere else, now or thereafter.
“They also plan to seize the opportunity to unleash an attack on billboards and posters of all the other 16 political parties participating in the election.
“We also want to use this medium to alert all security agencies in the state to place those who are desirous of fomenting trouble under close watch with a view to preventing violence in the state before, during, and after the October 10, 2020, gubernatorial election.
“We are calling on the good people of Ondo State to report to the security agencies any suspicious moves by these miscreants in their locations so we can have a free, fair, acceptable, and peaceful election in the state.
Also, the party’s Publicity Secretary Kennedy Peretei in a similar statement said “political thugs sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) have perfected plans to unleash violence at the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Flag Off Rally at Ore in Odigbo LGA tomorrow by adorning PDP branded vests and face caps.
“The purpose is to mislead the public to think that such thugs are PDP supporters.
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“We wish to make it abundantly clear that, the PDP stands for peace. We have maintained our cool in spite of the consistent unprovoked attack on our supporters including the assassination attempt at the life of our Flagbearer Eyitayo Jegede, SAN in Oba-Akoko.
“No political party should set Ondo State on fire by precipitating the crisis, before, during, and after the October 10 Election. All parties should approach the Electorates with their scorecards instead of this brazen attempt at intimidation and crude force on people.
“The PDP has already won the hearts of Ondo State people and does not need violence to win.
Peretei, therefore, called “on the Security Agencies to be on top of their job to fish out these unscrupulous characters and bring them to book.
