SENATOR Rashidi Ladoja, governorship candidate of the Accord party in Oyo State, has appealed to his numerous supporters to eschew violence on or before, and during the February 2015 elections. He gave this charge when hundreds of his supporters and party faithful stormed the state party secretariat at Samonda, Ibadan, in a peaceful and orderly manner to protest the incessant attacks on his billboards by unknown persons throughout the state. He hinged his appeal on the fact that “opposition in the state are convulsing because of Accord, and are therefore in a foul mood as they are aware that Accord is set to bring misrule and mismanagement of our common resources to an end in the pacesetter state.
He called on his supporters not to allow themselves to be provoked into any act of violence not even if he is abused by opposition.
Senator Ladoja assured his supporters that his campaigns would be issue-based and devoid of name calling, nothing that he is not a brute and does not see politics as a “do or die” matter but a call to service.
Senator Ladoja encouraged his supporters to imbibe this nature and shun any form of hooliganism in the name of politics, saying that politics is not synonymous to violence.
He reiterated that God and his ability to deliver good governance in his first term as governor of Oyo State had carved him in the hearts of the people.
He also advised the electorates to be vigilant and be wary of parties and individuals who result to visiting violence on the people they claim they want to serve.
Earlier, the spokesperson for the protesters, Mr Bayo James, had call on the commissioner of police to put measures in place that will effectively checkmate the activities of political thugs and hooligans in the state.
He urged the police to investigate the matter and bring the full weight of the law on those found culpable.