Ekiti election: Protest in Abia, Imo streets over Fayose’s brutality

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia and Imo States yesterday took to the streets in protest claiming that the encounter between the governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and the police was a violation of Fayose’s human right by the police.

In Imo, members of the party, led by the State Chairman, Charles Ezekwem marched to the Police Headquarters in Owerri, where the State Commissioner of Police, Dazuki Galadanchi, received their protest letter addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP.

The letter read, “We, the State Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State and the entire Peoples Democratic Party, Imo State observe with dismay the police brutality on the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

“This violation of human rights is coming just two days to the governorship election in Ekiti.

“We strongly condemn what is happening in Ekiti State. It was a sad commentary to our democracy that Fayose came out on television and was crying over brutality of police and the injuries he sustained from the incident in Ekiti.

“We therefore plead that you use your good office to ensure that the incident that took place in Ekiti does not repeat itself so as to avoid total breakdown of law and order in Nigeria. The whole world is watching Nigeria and it will be very bad if democracy fails in our time.”

In the same vein, the PDP in Abia State held a peaceful protest in Umuahia, the state capital.

They alleged of police brutality against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and his deputy, Prof. Olusola Eleka, who is the party’s governorship candidate for Saturday’s election.

The Abia protesters were led by the State Chairman of the party, Chief Johnson Onuigbo.

The party condemned the attack on the Ekiti politicians and urged that caution be applied by the police.

The party leader also led a delegation of some party executive members to the Abia State Police Commissioner to register their grievance and gave him a copy of their protest letter.

Receiving them, the Police Commissioner, Anthony Ogbizi said “the essence of the deployment of police personnel was to maintain peace and order and not for any police man to interfere in the process.”

He explained to them that the deployment of policemen was the prerogative of the Inspector General Police in line with the relevant sections of the constitution.