By Dare Akogun
The Peoples Democratic Party Campaign Council in Kwara State has called the attention of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, and the State Commissioner of Police, Paul Odama, to the unjust intimidation and harassment of the electorate sympathetic to the party at Polling Units in Ode Ishowo and Koro Sayodun axis in Alanamu ward of Ilorin West Local Government.
In a statement signed by its Director of Media, Lawal Akanbi Sharafadeen, made available to newsmen today the party noted that about seven registered voters have so far been victims via calls and sms asking them to report to the police headquarters in Ilorin.
According to him, “About seven innocent accredited voters have so far been victims of this unfortunate occurrence, through calls and texts, asking them to report at the Police Headquarters, Ilorin on trumped-up allegations bordering on rumours that they disrupted the last election exercised in the said polling units.
“So far, the phone numbers that have been used for this purpose are 07060997736 and 09139168136.”
Sharafadeen recalled that while the PDP, won handsomely at polling unit 032, the results of polling unit 031 were canceled due to over-voting.
He said: “Unfortunately, instead of holding those responsible for this electoral malpractices to account, the police officers through the aforementioned telephone numbers listed above have been harassing our innocent supporters.
“Here are the names of some of those who have either been persistently threatened or incessantly disturbed by men of the police force: Haleemah Yakub, Abdurasheed Nallah, Abdulgafar Seriki, Taiye Yakub and Hakeem Yusuf Nallah.
The PDP Campaign Council opined that this untoward action might not be unconnected to the defeat suffered by the APC state Secretary, Alhaji Mustapha Isowo, who is from the community, and voted therein.
While enjoining “the gallant voters at the aforementioned polling units not to be intimidated by this ugly development”, the Campaign Council urged the headship of the security agencies in the state to ensure a level playing field for all citizens to exercise their franchise freely without let or hindrance.
