The Kaduna State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied sending thugs to disrupt the presidential campaign rally of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
During the PDP rally on Monday, thugs attacked the party’s supporters. Videos from the scene showed thugs beating people who had gathered at the event causing supporters to run in panic.
A day after the incident, the APC issued a statement, denying allegations by a PDP member, Timi Frank accused the gubernatorial candidate and Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Senator Uba Sani of sending thugs to disrupt the PDP rally.
In a statement issued by the state Publicity Secretary, Salisu Tanko Wusono, the APC called on Frank to retract his statement or face legal action.
According to the APC, Senator Sani is too refined to play that kind of crude politics because it is not in his character to do so.
“His utterances which were widely published, Timi Frank claimed that Distinguished Senator Uba Sani and the Kaduna State Gubernatorial candidate of APC, sent thugs to disrupt PDP’s presidential rally, without an iota of proof. Significantly, Timi Frank was briefed by his paymasters,” the statement read.
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“Indeed, the statement opined that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has elected spokesmen at state and national levels, including those at the Presidential Campaign Council, as well as the battery of media aides that its presidential candidate parades.”
“However, given the reputational damage that it may cause them, apart from possible litigation, the party chose an unsavoury character to carry its dubious message, which is laden with injurious falsehoods.”
“The Township Stadium venue of the so-called rally was half empty last Monday, to the utter embarrassment of PDP chieftains, in a state that has a former vice president, an ex-governor and a two-term senator, including former National Chairman of the party.”
“On the same day, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Jagaban Borgu and APC presidential candidate were in Kaduna to interact with Northern Leaders at Arewa House.”
“All roads led to Arewa House as APC supporters, PDP die-hards and non-partisan citizens of Kaduna State trooped to hear Tinubu’s plans for the North when he becomes President of Nigeria by the Grace of God and the people’s votes.”
“Consequently, the PDP presidential rally was reduced to a Town Hall meeting and to cover this embarrassment, the party alleged that thugs attacked their members at Ranchers Bees stadium,” the statement declared.
“Although arrests have been reportedly made, it beats the imagination how two million people can be cramped into that the Township Stadium whose capacity is certainly less than 5,000 people.”
“Timi Frank either does not know what transpired in Kaduna last Monday or he deliberately chose to bury his head in the sand. Either way, his message did not resonate with right-thinking people because PDP is saddled with enough internal crises, both at state and federal levels, to pose any threat to APC’s imminent victory.”
“Certainly, freedom of expression does not warrant levelling unsubstantiated, uncouth and defamatory allegations,” the statement said.
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