APC, PDP trade blame over Kaduna violence

MEMBERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Kaduna State Government have continued to trade blame over violence in Kaduna that led to the death of about seven people in the heart of the metropolis, while several other victims sustained various degrees of injuries and hospitalized.

     The fracas, according to the victims, occurred as some of the vehicles conveying PDP supporters were attacked by miscreants as they made their way to Rigasa community in Kaduna South and Bakin Ruwa in Igabi Local Government Area for a campaign rally.

      The thugs, mostly youths, carrying dangerous weapons also vandalized about 25 vehicles belonging to the PDP campaign organization. The incident was coming barely three weeks after candidates and leaders of the two political parties: APC and PDP agreed before the State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Umar Shehu to conduct a violence-free campaigns.

    Governor Yero, who was visibly disturbed when he visited the injured persons where they were being treated at the Government House clinic, said that the thugs were obviously hired by the opposition party to attack his convoy with the sole aim of throwing the state into confusion.

    The governor while reiterating his commitment to peaceful electoral process, warned that government will no longer fold its arms and continue to watch some group of miscreants intimidate and harass majority of the people with impunity.

      However, the El-Rufai Campaign team who cut short their rally in Southern Kaduna addressed journalists and blamed Governor Yero for the violence that claimed lives in the metropolis.

    Speaking at a press conference on behalf of the APC Governorship candidate, El-Rufai, the incumbent Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone, retired Major General Mohammed Sani Saleh said: “you are all aware of the outbreak of violence in parts of Kaduna on Monday. We make bold to say that responsibility for the mayhem, injuries and the loss of lives and property rest squarely with Mukhtar Ramalan Yero and his PDP government.”

    According to him, “you will recall that at the launch of his campaign last month, Yero incited his supporters to violence, apart from threatening the property, liberty and freedom of movement of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, our candidate for the governorship of this state,” saying, “our response to this threat was to ask our supporters not to respond to provocations; we also wrote to alert the National Human Rights Commission and representatives of the international community to this blatant instance of hate speech.”