The governorship campaign organization of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Borno State, has reacted to the destruction of several campaign offices and posters of the party on Monday by supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, during the latter’s presidential campaign rally in the state.
The APC supporters, who took to the streets of Maiduguri, the Borno capital in their thousands, chanted pro-Muhammadu Buhari campaign slogans while carrying a mock coffin of the PDP.
While soldiers were battling to control the mammoth crowd at the venue of the campaign rally, some of the irate youth were seen bringing down PDP billboards that were mounted close to the venue of the rally.
Hours later, thick smoke could be seen some 500 meters way from the Ramat Square venue of the rally as the APC youth stormed a major campaign office of the PDP, popularly known as UTC, chanting anti-PDP and anti-President Goodluck Jonathan slogans.
The irate youth forced their way into the premises armed with petrol jars and set the PDP office ablaze.
All efforts by police officers stationed at the UTC to prevent the youth failed as they were overwhelmed by the mob.
Reacting to the attack in a written statement, Inuwa Bwala, the spokesperson for the Borno PDP governorship candidate, Muhammad Imam, said the act was highly condemnable and unprovoked.
“The Muhammed Imam governorship Campaign Organisation condemns the unprovoked attack on PDP supporters and property in Maiduguri by APC hoodlums”, Mr. Bwala said. “We equally condemn the attack on military personnel by hired thugs, ostensibly acting out the script of the Borno State government. We commiserate with the victims of the attack and caution the Borno state Governor, Kashim Shettima, who seems to take delight in causing mischief anytime the PDP plans its programmes within the state.
“While we call on all supporters of Muhammad Imam to remain calm and lawful in the face of such unprovoked attacks, we wish to assure our citizens that no act of desperation nor violence can alter the will of God. We remain focused on the mission of rescuing Borno from the clutches of an inept and corrupt leadership.
“We leave it to the security agencies to investigate the Maiduguri mayhem perpetrated in the name of hosting a presidential candidate. One wonders how the same Buhari visited Baylesa in peace but Shettima has turned Borno into a vortex of violence and political nihilism”.