The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ondo State has condemned the attack by gunmen on its Chairmanship candidate for the Akure South Local Government election, Mr Gbenga Fasua.
The state Chairman of SDP, Chief Korede Duyile, expressed concern over the attack in a statement issued in Akure on Monday by Mr Dele Ogunbameru, the Chairman of SDP Reconciliation and Development Committee in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fasua was attacked on Friday night after he participated in a programme, “Oselu”, on the state-owned Ondo State Radio Corporation “to keep the public abreast of his candidature and the manifesto of his party”.
“The attack is political, it is barbaric, it is an invasion, it was aimed at abducting our candidate and it is coming at a time the people of Ondo State have resolved to vote massively for the SDP in the forthcoming Local Government (LG) election.
“The security of our candidates in this LG election is important. So, we call on all the security and other relevant agencies to ensure that the lives and property of all Nigerians are protected.
“I think all political parties should call their candidates to order to forestall a do-or-die approach to this,’’ Duyile said.
NAN reports that the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) has scheduled local government elections for April 18.
He noted that the election was not for the ruling party alone but for all political parties to contest under a free and fair atmosphere.
The SDP chieftain thanked men of the Nigeria Police for the speed with which they responded to the incident.
Duyile also thanked the Commissioner of Police for taking further steps to ensure the safety of the candidate. (NAN)
