By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has held a crucial meeting with the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Victor Olaiya, to address concerns over the reported clampdown on party members in the aftermath of the recent local government elections.
The meeting, which took place at the headquarters of the Kwara State Police Command, was initiated by the PDP leadership to clarify the party’s position and express their concerns about the treatment of their members.
During the meeting, the PDP leaders, which comprised Alhaji Ladi Hassan, former Chief of Staff to Bukola Saraki, former member Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Sikirat Anako, former member, board of trustees of PDP and former Commissioner, Hon. Nimota Ibrahim, party elder, Alhaji Jimoh Adesina, former leader, Kwara House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulrafiu Abdulrahman and former Special Adviser on Security to the Governor, Hon. Tajudeen Alabi, expressed their “firm stance that the party, as the primary opposition in the state, is committed to upholding peace and ensuring the stability of Kwara State.
They reassured the Commissioner of Police that the PDP has no intention of disrupting the peace or inciting unrest, despite being in opposition, stressing the importance of allowing space for opposition voices to be heard, without harassment or intimidation.
The PDP leaders drew comparisons to their time in power, stating that while they were in office, they faced intense political opposition and propaganda, yet they ensured that the opposition had the freedom to operate without undue interference.
Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, Ladi Hassan, who led the PDP delegation, said: “It’s a simple visit just to let the CP know that we are not happy with some of the things happening in Kwara State. As members of the opposition, we are interested in peace. We are not interested in trouble. We came to see the Commissioner of Police so that the police under his command could allow us some breathing space. The way they are harassing our people, we are not happy. One of our members is in prison now on unnecessary charges. Some of them were released this afternoon. We don’t need all these things. When we were in government for almost 20 years, we tolerated the opposition.”
Hassan added that during the PDP’s time in power, the opposition was not subjected to such treatment, saying: “We didn’t harass anybody. We didn’t jail anybody, we didn’t send anybody to prison unduly. So why are our members being harassed? The government of the day should tolerate opposition. You cannot beat somebody and say that person should not cry. It’s not possible.
“We are in opposition and we accepted our fate. We wait for another election. But you continue to harass our people. It’s not proper. So that’s why we have come here to see the CP to express our dissatisfaction. And we’re happy he spoke to us very well, and he received us very well, and he was happy that we are peace-loving people. One of our members, a former council chairman, is in jail now. He’s in prison over trumped-up charges. So we don’t want that kind of thing.
“We should not go back to the olden days. Kwara State used to be very volatile, where you see the government in power and the opposition chasing each other. We don’t want to get to that kind of situation. We should move forward. Every state is moving forward. We should move forward,” Hassan remarked.
Also, Honorable Tajudeen Alabi beseeched the Commissioner of Police to let peace reign among the political parties in Kwara State, adding: “My advice to the Commissioner of Police is that he should let all the political parties see him as their Commissioner of Police. The opposition should be allowed a breathing space and let peace reign in the state.”