Jimi Agbaje, the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, has condemned the violence and brigandage that trailed the All Progressives Congress campaign on Tuesday in Lagos State.
The candidate, who expressed shock at the level of disruption, which led to injuries and loss of lives, called on the ruling party to resolve its internal crisis to forestall any further occurrence.
According to him, everything possible must be done by the various political parties and other stakeholders to prevent violence and unnecessary loss of lives as the elections draw near.
Agbaje said: “Lagos State needs peace and everybody must work hard towards entrenching this harmony. Therefore, it is unacceptable for any individual or group to endanger the peace and stability in our state. This shameful political rally must not be allowed to repeat itself.
“The APC as a political party must be conscious of the consequences of its actions. We are in an election year and the party must be reminded that our dear state needs peace for us to achieve the stability and progress that we need.
“It is unfortunate that the ruling party is unable to manage its internal contradictions. We condemn this ugly development. We also call on APC to rein in its thugs and other undesirable elements that are potential threats to our electoral process.
“The issue of hooliganism and use of thugs have remained our major concern in the general elections and we will continue to express our fears. We raised this issue when our billboards and posters were attacked by thugs at the kick-off of our campaign. We are again, drawing the attention of Lagosians to this politics of bitterness.
“This disgraceful conduct by the APC and its supporters reinforces our position that a level playing-ground must be maintained. We also insist that appropriate sanctions must be handed out to those who break our laws and endanger our collective peace as a people.
“Lagos State cannot afford this new level of violence and hooliganism in politics. Those who want to govern must focus on the issues, not by threatening and attacking people for holding a different view. That is why our message is essentially on freedom and democracy. We promise to end this circle of violence and death if voted in the coming governorship election, which is what we have resolved to do and nothing shall stop us.”
