Ondo guber: Don’t abuse Amotekun, Secondus cautions Akeredolu

By Tunde Opalana

National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has cautioned the Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu not to abuse the deployment of operatives of the newly created Western Nigeria security outfit, Amotekun, during the October 10 governorship election in the state, DAILY TIMES gathered.

He said it would be an abuse of office should the state governor partisanlly involve officers and men of the Amotekun operative in the election.

Secondus said this on Friday while inaugurating the 145 member PDP National Campaign Council for Ondo state at the Abuja national secretariat of the party.

The council is being led by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state and  Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state as deputy chairman.

Reading meaning to the inauguration of the security outfit by the Ondo state government, the national chairman said information available to the PDP suggested that the hurried inauguration of Amotekun in the state has political undertone.

Secondus said “intelligence available to us shows that the outgoing APC Government in Ondo state in its panic has hurriedly gone ahead to launch the local security outfit Amotekun. with the aim of deploying them to intimidate and harass opponents.

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“We want to warn that state security outfits are at experimental stages and any abuse will mean the end of it. The people of the South West desired Amotekun to secure them. Anything otherwise would be undermining the will of the people.”

Reacting to the caution, the Ondo state government said the PDP should be properly tutored on the purpose of creating the security outfit.

On behalf of the state government, Commissioner for Information, Dinald Ojogo in a telephone interview said it was unfortunate that the PDP made such insinuation.

Ojogo said “Was there Amotekun when they were humiliated in 2016? PDP as a sinking party deserves to be properly educated about the reasons for Amotekun.

“If the party feels otherwise, it’s rather unfortunate and goes to show how much they love the people.”

Also, the PDP leadership charged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure level playground for all political parties, and restrain security operatives from involving in election matters.

“At this juncture, I am reiterating my earlier call on President Muhammadu Buhari and his party the APC, to ensure that the election field is made level for all to enable the good people of 0ndo state make their choice without the hindrance of any kind.

“This government can do this by ensuring that they respect the Constitution and the Electoral Act as well as the ruling of Supreme Court of Nigeria that says that security operatives particularly the military should not meddle on election matters outside providing adequate and equal security to all the parties within the requirements of the law.

“PDP therefore expects that in both Edo and Ondo states elections, the military should be kept out of it completely and Police and other security agencies who are supposed to be at election venues should be made to operate within the dictates of the law.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), should refuse to be intimidated and strive to always carry out their duties strictly as set out by the law,” said Secondus.

While expressing confidence in members of the National Campaign Council, the chairman charged members to embrace the assignment with all determination as they are expected to win Ondo for the PDP.

He said “the choice of this formidable campaign team was carefully done by the party leadership to achieve the desired goals. The main goal of this National Working Committee, NWC, is to recover all original PDP states currently in the hands of the opposition.

“We expect to carry the euphoria of Edo victory to Ondo on October 10 and relieve the good people of Ondo from the bad governance witnessed in that state in the last three and half years.

“Your Excellencies, leaders of our great party, your committee has this huge responsibility of helping the people of 0ndo state realize their dream of making their choice the way they desire”.

Chairman of the campaign team, Governor Makinde said one of the responsibilities of the campaign council is to go into the election united.

Makinde said “we are doing everything possible to make sure all our members and leaders in Ondo State come together.

“I don’t have an atom of doubt that Ondo will soon come under the PDP.

We are not afraid of competition, we will highlight all the desirable features of our candidate.

“The election of October 10 (10-10-20) is about choice between progress and stagnation, it is a choice between continued hardship and prosperity.

“The PDP is presenting the people of Ondo State the right choice. We are not asking INEC to favour it, we only ask that they do their work”.

Apart from members of the party’s National Working Committee, notable party leaders at the inauguration include, former governors of Sokoto and Niger states, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso and Babangida Aliyu, Senator Biodun Olujinmi, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, and former governorship aspirants, Bode Ayorinde and Sola Ebiseni.