- The minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has dismissed an allegation made by the Kwara state chapter of the CNPP
- The CNPP in Kwara had accused the federal government of planning to clamp down on the opposition parties in the state ahead of the 2019 elections
- The minister says only criminals need to worry ahead of the forthcoming general elections
The minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has dismissed an allegation made by the Kwara state chapter of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP).
The CNPP in Kwara had accused the federal government of planning to clamp down on the opposition parties in the state ahead of the 2019 elections.
Reacting to the position of CNPP, Alhaji Mohammed in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Tuesday, February 5, said only criminals need to worry ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
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Part of the statement read: “This allegation by the shadowy CNPP is a panic reaction to my consistent call on the security agencies to rid Kwara state of all known thugs and other criminals ahead of the elections, in order to provide a level playing field for all the parties.
“A similar action by the security agencies went a long way in ensuring the success of the 17 Nov 2018 by-election in the Irepodun/Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Isin Federal Constituency in Kwara, which was won by our party, the APC, and which was widely adjudged to be free, fair and peaceful.
“There is indeed every reason for thugs and other criminals in Kwara to worry, because they will not be allowed to cause violence or disrupt the conduct of the forthcoming elections.
“Definitely, the clampdown on criminals in Kwara state has unsettled those whose modus operandi is to use thugs and hooligans to sna*ch ballot papers, disenfranchise voters and generally terrorize the citizenry during elections. We have no apologies for ridding the state of these delinquents.
“However, all law-abiding Kwarans have nothing to be afraid of, as the security agencies have assured that they will provide the enabling peaceful environment for voters to exercise their franchise.”
The minister called on the people of the state to disregard the statement by the CNPP, adding that the group belongs to, a drowning dynasty that has held Kwara state by the jugular for years.
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Recently, a leading pro-democracy group in Kwara state, Kwara Must Change (KMC), raised an alarm over the influx of suspected political thugs into the state ahead of the elections.
In a statement sent to Legit.ng and signed by its state coordinator, Comrade Yusuf Olatunji, KMC stated that some concerned citizens, who witnessed the strange and unprecedented influx of unknown aliens into their communities, alerted the organisation about the presence of the suspected thugs.
The group called on security agencies to act promptly to avert possible security breaches in the state.
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Source: Legit.ng
