PDP Warns Police, Kwara Government Over Attack on Journalists

The social media space was awash in the last 72 hours with news of the arrest and subsequent prosecution by the Kwara state government of two siblings who are journalist; Mr Dare Akogun and Mr Abdulrasheed Akogun. The arrest and prosecution of the two Akogun brothers, were allegedly carried out on the instructions of Mal. Rafiu Ajakaye, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Executive Governor of Kwara state Mal. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

The CPS, had reputedly petition the Nigeria police, Kwara state command with the complaint that the two brothers, allegedly defamed him and the Executive governor in one fell swoop, by publishing online that the governor through the CPS had procured the last Nigerian Union of journalist (NUJ) elections results, with a particular sum of money.

Prince ‘Tunji Moronfoye, Publicity Secretary of Kwara state Peoples Democratic party (PDP) in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday stated that “PDP wouldn’t have weigh in on the issue because of the political implications of our press releases. However, we are morally constrained to let our position be known on this unpleasant and repugnant saga”.

According to Moronfoye, Kwarans may wish to recall the PDP’s press release on September 22nd 2022, where we alleged that the Kwara All Progressives Congress (APC) party regime had perfected a nefarious plan to subdue and gag the opposition using arrests and prosecution on trumped up charges. Little did we know that the mediocre Kwara APC party regime led by Mal Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, had also earmarked the muzzling of the press as part of their disgusting strategy to win elections by all means come March 2023.

“We at the PDP would also like to remind Kwarans of the pre 2019 general elections where there was clear character defamation by the current APC party regime supporters on print media, electronic/social media and radio targeting the person of the then sitting Senate president, Dr Abubakar ‘Bukola Saraki (CON) and the then sitting Kwara state governor his Excellency, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, which was ignored by the dynamic duo. We at the PDP agreed then that, this was a democracratic setting and the PDP decided not to use the instruments of state to bully opposition members, even in the face of clear infractions of defamation laws, when we were in power. Now, we see the beneficiaries of this free speech after they gained the reigns of power, become uncontrollable bullies by arresting all dissenting voices, including the press”

“The Nigeria police, Kwara state command and all other security agencies domiciled in Kwara state till date, have carried out their work professionally, without fear or favour. We are also aware that, all security agencies in Kwara state, have gone “above and beyond” in solving and foiling of intended crime with very minimal support from the incompetent Kwara APC party regime, led by Mal. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq”
“We at the PDP would like to call on the Nigeria Police, Kwara state command and all other security agencies to resist being used as a tool of oppression by the mediocre Kwara state APC party regime”.

“In conclusion, we want to call on all well meaning Kwarans to tell the inept Kwara state APC party regime that, gagging the opposition and the press through indiscriminate arrests on trumped up charges, will not secure them electoral victory come March 2023. The albatross of non performance, after receiving close to half a *TRILLION NAIRA* revenue in three and half years with nothing to show for it, will always hang around their guilty necks.

“Kwarans will surely vote massively for all PDP candidates in the upcoming general elections because we have shown capacity, capability, massive performance and tolerance of opposition voices in all the years we were in power.”