The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has alleged that
PDP members buoyed by the show of bias demonstrated by the Lagos State
Police Commissioner, has resorted to removing APC posters and banners all
over Lagos.
It said this is a dangerous display of political rascality and crass
illegality that will not be allowed to endure in Lagos.
In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of
the APC, Joe Igbokwe, the party said that the open display of outlawry and
brigandage in Lagos by the PDP in respect of placement of posters stems
from the open show of support which the Lagos State Commissioner of Police
showed to PDP in utter disregard of the existing laws of the state. It
warned that nothing should be made to breach the peace and security of
Lagos by either the PDP or the police as the state and its law abiding
citizens will rise up to meet any challenge thrown to the state by
desperate political invaders.
“We recall that recently the Lagos PDP alleged that it was not being
allowed to paste posters in Lagos, which necessitated the intervention of
the state police. It would also be recalled that the Lagos Police
Commissioner summoned the Managing Director of LASAA, the Lagos agency
that had been regulating advertising and pasting of bills and posters in
Lagos. We note that the LASAA MD explained to the commissioner of Police
the laws and regulations guiding pasting of posters in Lagos, which had
existed for years now and which the PDP had consistently flouted. But to
our utter disdain, the Police Commissioner rushed to air even while the
meeting had hardly ended with a threat to arrest LASAA officials for doing
their lawful duties thereby not only approving the unlawful activities of
PDP without regard to the laws of the state.
“Following from this tacit support from the Commissioner of Police, the
PDP members and agents commenced the process of removing the posters and
campaign bills of APC in the entire Lagos Island. They have gone further
to lay their posters on top of APC posters in flagrant disregard of the
feeling of Lagosians and the Commissioner of Police has remained
conspiratorially silent. We recall that recently, a PDP leader, Bode
George visited someone in Adelabu Street Surulere and his supporters and
hangers were witnessed by all removing APC posters and placing PDP posters
in their stead. We ask, is this the real intendment of the Lagos State
Police Commissioner in issuing the tendentious and clearly partisan threat
of arresting LASAA workers for doing their lawful duties?
“While we await the action of the Lagos State Police Commissioner on these
flagrant display of illegality and actions against our party, we want to
warn that we will not take kindly to any effort by any invading party and
the police to intimidate us in our state. We warn that nothing should be
done to provoke our members to acts capable of breaching the peace of
Lagos for which we have worked tirelessly to build. We ask the State
Police Commissioner to refrain from giving tacit support to the PDP and
shielding them from sanctions from illegal acts. Most importantly, we
restate that nothing can make Lagos fall to an invading force that has not
only wrecked Nigeria but also endangered the peace and security of Nigeria
for its selfish interests.”