Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s swift reaction to the recent political violence in Rivers State as part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) plot to rig the rerun elections slated for this week Saturday in the State, saying; “any attempt to clampdown on members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State under the guise of stemming the tide of political violence in the State will be counter-productive.”
The governor, who decried the reported violence in Rivers State and other States in the country, said; “Only a president with ulterior political motives will elevate political violence above the kind of genocide carried out by Fulani herdsmen in Benue State.”
He said the entire people of Nigeria know that Rivers State and the entire South South belong to the PDP, adding that; “Having failed in the court to steal the States from the PDP, Buhari and his APC want to use violence and intimidation. But they should know that even if they relocate Aso Rock Presidential Villa and the APC National Secretariat to Rivers State on Saturday, they will be roundly defeated.”
Governor Fayose, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said it was strange that the same President Buhari who did not utter a word until over 400 Agates people of Benue State were murdered swiftly reacted to the reported political violence in Rivers State from faraway Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
The governor said; “In Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, Fulani herdsmen allegedly killed over 400 people, including children and pregnant women, destroyed more than ten villages; President Buhari did not raise his voice against this genocide until I condemned his silence.
“Also in Mile 12, Lagos, 15 persons, including two children were killed with property worth several millions of Naira destroyed during a clash between Hausa and Yoruba; President Buhari did not give the security services any clear directives to deal decisively with anyone.
“Even though one is not against any action of the government aimed at curbing violence of whatever form, but it is pertinent to ask the President whether or not killing of Nigerians should only attract his attention when it involves elections.
“From all indications, the President’s reaction to the reported violence in Rivers State is part of the grand plot to rig the rerunNelections holding in the State on Saturday, but the President must know that the people of Rivers State will not be cowed into allowing Abuja to impose leaders on them.
“Buhari and his APC should be reminded of the level of violence they unleashed on PDP members and supporters during the governorship election in Bayelsa State, in which several souls were lost. Yet, PDP still won and Rivers State will not be an exception.
“Most importantly, if the President is serious about dealing with perpetrators of violence, he should first deal with those FulaniMherdsmen who admitted that they murdered children and pregnant women in Agatu villages of Benue State because 10,000 of their cattle were allegedly killed by people of the area.
“The president must first deal decisively with those who confessed to have killed over 400 Nigerians, including pregnant women and children to revenge alleged killing of cows before he can be taken seriously on his decision to deal decisively with all sponsors of violence in Rivers State.”
