By ABUBAKAR YUSUF

The Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, Arc. Yomi Awoniyi, along with other leaders of the party have lamented the renewed violent attacks on supporters of the PDP in the state.

This follows the recent attacks by those suspected to be thugs of the APC-sponsored thugs.

They said this was calculated to cause voters apathy on the day of election on February 25, 2023.

The latest orchestrated violence took place in the suburb of Abocho in Dekina LGA on Wednesday, February 15, and in Ihima, Okehi LGA on Thursday, February 16, both strongholds of Austin Okai, PDP candidate for the House of Reps, Dekina/Biraidu Federal Constituency and Barr. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Central Senatorial District, respectively.

“The actions of the thugs in a suburb of Abocho, who inflicted injuries on their victims with guns and matchets, and the coordinated attack on party members who were holding ward meetings in Ihima leading to the destruction of their property, confirm the speculation in our previous Press Releases that there is an organized attempt to gag the opposition by unleashing violence on the unsuspecting PDP members on the eve of the elections.

“It is, therefore, instructive that the State Security apparatus must intensify surveillance on such black spots as Dekina, Okene, Okehi, Adavi, Olamaboro, and such other places where these thugs are being used as instruments in the hands of unpopular candidates to intimidate the opposition prior to the February General Election.

“The PCC hereby call on the security agencies once again to swing into action immediately to arrest those who are known to be behind the recent violence in Abocho and Okehi in order to bring them to book and dissuade further unwarranted attack on law-abiding PDP members in the state.

“The PDP wishes to assure party faithful and supporters that the party is prepared more than ever before to confront the challenges ahead with equanimity, and will not submit to acts of intimidation.”