Ekiti, Osun polls: Lagos PDP wants Tinubu quizzed for incitement

Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, charged  security agencies to immediately arrest and quiz former Governor Bola Tinubu for making apparent, inflammatory, inciting and criminal utterances capable of worsening the current security challenges in the country.
Again, the party tasked the security agencies, especially the State Security Service (SSS) to quiz Tinubu, who is also the national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) on all the murders and maimings that took place during the period of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)’s desperation to reclaim Ekiti and Osun states from PDP.
The party made the call in a statement issued by its publicity secretary, Mr. Taofeek Gani, warning that unless Tinubu was arrested and made to explain details of his utterances, it might portend danger for the country, as security agencies would be seen as either compromised or docile.
This is as it called on all Nigerians to hold Tinubu responsible for any political murders, now or during the coming elections in Ekiti and Osun states, while recalling that similar careless statements made in 2011 by a presidential candidate, who is also a member of the APC, was believed to have also aggravated the violence in the North.
The PDP recalled that the national leader of the APC, Tinubu, had stated publicly
that anyone that attempted to rig in the coming elections at Ekiti and Osun states would be murdered and roasted.
According to the party, the former governor made the statement at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, Oyo State, during his investiture as chancellor of the institution.
The PDP described the statement as criminal, saying that with his members possibly as targets, “the security agencies must, therefore, act fast to prove that they are on top of security issues in the land.”
The party expressed worries that such inflammatory, inciting and criminal pronouncements could be made  at this period that Nigeria was confronted with serious security problems in some parts of the country, calling on the security agencies not to treat Tinubu’s pronouncement with kid glove.
“We are indeed worried that such inflammatory, inciting and criminal pronouncements can be made in our country at this period that we are confronted with serious security problems in some parts of the country.
“This careless statement by Tinubu must not be treated with kid glove. He is a man with crude followership in the South-West. He is thus potent enough to ignite conflagration in the region.
“It is also possible that the APC leader has an already prepared target list and will use the elections as decoy to hit his targets.
“We recall well that similar careless statements made by a presidential candidate, who is also a member of  the APC, is believed to have also aggravated the violence in the North.
“The situation in the North may not have been this bad if the security agencies had acted fast. Hence, this current agent provocateur must be swiftly curtailed.
“The security agencies, especially the SSS, must not be cowed by his overbloated status, but arrest him and even prosecute him. Nigerians must also hold Tinubu responsible for any political murder now or during the elections,” the party said.

Finally, the PDP admonished politicians to have trust in the laws and agencies to punish election offenders, noting that the peace and tranquillity of the country must supersede parochial interest.