The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to the allegation by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal that they were keeping thugs for electioneering campaigns.
According to APC, the Governor and his party were behind political thuggery in the state, citing the recent reception in honour of the Governor during which a 23-year old man was killed by a stray bullet.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Sambo Bello Danchadi, the party also accused the Governor of intimidating and threatening to sack civil servants who were sympathetic with APC.
“The Governor’s statements should have been ignored, except for the fear that some misinformed members of the public, especially those outside Sokoto, may hold them as true.
“the good people of Sokoto State may wish to recall that on Saturday 4th of August 2018, the APC staged a welcome rally in honor of its leader, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko but the most interesting part of the event, was that not even a chicken was killed and no one’s property was destroyed and the state was peaceful throughout.
It added, “The PDP however, held its own rally on Saturday 13th October 2018, and what did we have?, Properties belonging to parties other than the PDP were destroyed, including residences in Kasarawa and Bado Villages which bore the signs of other parties, especially the APC. In fact an innocent onlooker was shot dead by a stray bullet from the governor’s police escort,”
While dismissing the allegation, APC reaffirmed that it has no political thugs because “it is a peace loving party.
It however, assured the concerned civil servants that it was ready to go to any length, within the limits of the law, to protect their freedom of association, which includes the right to free political association,” it averred
The party saluted the good people of Sokoto State, particularly civil servants for their perseverance in the face of bad governance and absence of any meaningful development in these past three years.
It appealed for more patience and sacrifice ahead of the general elections.