Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed on Thursday condemned attack on the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives candidate Abdulraheem Olawuyi for this Saturday’s by-election for Irepodun/Ekiti/Isin and Oke-Ero federal constituency in Kwara.Muhammed, who described the attack as unfortunate, said the party will work with relevant agencies to ensure free, fair and credible election on Saturday with adequate security before, during and after the election.
The campaign train of Olawuyi was allegedly attacked by an unknown persons during the tour of his constituency to canvass for votes.
The minister told reporters at the sideline of a mega rally of the party in Omu-Aran, the headquarters of Irepodun Local Government area of the state.
He said the election will begin a new chapter for the party and it will be used to show the world that the APC is intact and the preferred party.
Said the minister: “You can see from the enthusiasm and the vibrancy of this crowd. Some governorship rallies cannot match what we have here today.
“No cause for alarm because security is guaranteed, we are aware of an attack on our candidate during his tour of constituency.
“This shows the opposition’s desperate attempt but I challenge them to try it again” Muhammed said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the party in the state, Bashir Bolarinwa, said APC is very much prepared for the election.
“Our preparations can be attested to by the crowd here today. In our own case, we have not imported anybody, what we have here today are the real electorate.
“We have done all we have to do and we have put in place all necessary apparatus to win the election and we are sure that come Saturday, we are winning” Bolarinwa said.
Olawuyi said he is 80 percent sure of victory at the Saturday bye-election.
He explained that it is not about bragging but because it is his terrain and that his people love him.
“As you can see, these are not rented crowd but party members and the real electorates from my constituency. We did not invite anyone from outside Kwara because the election is good for him” Olawuyi said.
Olawuyi said he is not scared of his opponent because he is aware of their weaknesses, claiming the people don’t love them again.
“The people that follow them fear them and not that they love them, we are loved with passion and the people follow us.
“We work together in the past and I know their capacity that can bring up when it comes to election, in a free and fair election, I don’t see them as a threat at all,” Olawuyi said.