Ahead of State House of Assembly elections, World Institute of Peace has condemned rulling People’s Democratic Party in the State for accommodating political thugs and called on President Muhammad Buhari swing into action and apprehend hoodlums before they unleash violence in the forthcoming polls.
The Executive Director of WIP, Lamina Kamiludeen Omotoyosi, while addressing the Press men on Tuesday, in Osogbo said the political thugs reigning in the state has becoming unbearable and this needs a very weighty action to halt its growth.
“The sad news that political thuggery has claimed lives in Osun state recently is so disheartening and the worrisome part of it is that, the state government is not doing anything to put an end to the ugly incidents causing by some political thugs in the states.”
“Many have lost their breadwinners, promising children and husbands to political thuggery in the last few months in Osun state and those who lost their people to banditry in the North and unknown gunmen in the Eastern part of Nigeria are the ones who can state how exactly violence activities are threat to our society”.
“It is a cast down to learn that Osun state government has not made any statement concerning those who have lost their lives to political thugs in the state within the last few months neither did the government give warning, and instead, the government is empowering the alleged political thugs with state appointments.
“Many state governments are doing same as that of Osun as they are planning to win their states for their various political parties during the presidential election. Involving thugs in government activities is a pure manner of sponsoring violence activities and President Muhammadu Buhari need to work on this. He said.”
Speaking further, Omotoyosi added that political thuggery is undermining the legitimacy of an elected government, as citizens may feel their voices have been silenced through violence and manipulation.
“It can lead to an erosion of public trust in the electoral process and the political system as a whole. For these reasons, it is important that political thuggery be curbed before the election if truly the federal government of Nigeria is willing to carry out peaceful and credible presidential election. Meanwhile, all eyes are on Nigeria 2023 Presidential Election and President Muhammadu Buhari is charged to live up to expectations” He said.
He concluded that Osun was declared as the state that top the list of the states with various degrees of violence activities, as it’s saddened his heart.
