Yakowa seeks sanctions for violent parties

Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa yesterday asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to sanction any party found to be violent.

The Director-General of his campaign organisation, Sule Buba, who represented him at a news conference in Kaduna, said some opposition parties were resorting to violence.

He said such parties should be sanctioned by INEC.

The governor regretted that supporters of some of the parties were a threat to peace.

He said a bloody clash was averted when Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youths refused to retaliate an alleged attack on them during a campaign tour by the governor.

Yakowa said: “Some thugs were sent to attack the convoy of Governor Yakowa on his way to one of the local governments for campaign.”

But, “fortunately’’, the governor said, ‘’our youths, refused to be provoked and resisted the urge to fight back.”

He said when the presidential candidate of an opposition party visited the governor during his campaign’s flag-off, “’its supporters, who accompanied him to the Government House, went on the rampage, destroying billboards and smashing government vehicles and those of innocent citizens.”

“Our billboards, which we spent so much money to erect have been destroyed. We are a law abiding party. As a party in power, we cannot promote violence, and we are not intimidating anybody.

“What is causing the problem is the naivety of the opposition members who think they can win election by violence. You win elections by convincing the people with your programmes and not by violence and destruction. INEC should sanction parties involved in violence.”