Southern Kaduna attackers trying to suppress voters – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State has said the killers in Atyap Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, are working on a script to suppress votes and shortchange the party to lose the March 18 governorship and House of Assembly elections.

The PDP state chairman, Felix Hassan Hyat, in a statement said, “The killings in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State were a threat to democracy by the killers playing a script to suppress votes and shortchange the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Southern Kaduna.”

He expressed delight that the people, in spite of all they are passing through, are more than ever determined to usher in a new government.

“The people are determined no matter what they are going through to express their feelings by casting their votes to candidates of their choice to free themselves from their bad experiences of the past eight years in the hands of APC in the state,” he added.

The PDP state chairman observed that the resurgence in banditry in Southern Kaduna communities in the last few days calls for serious concern, alleging that the pattern, nature, and timing of the attacks, especially after a period of relative peace in the area ahead of the presidential and national assembly elections, is quite suspicious.

According to him, the PDP in Kaduna State is worried that the attackers may be playing out a script designed to scare, displace, and ultimately suppress the votes of the people of Southern Kaduna.

The statement, therefore, condemned the dastardly act in its entirety and called on the security agencies to be more proactive and decisive in the face of the threat to the survival of the people and democracy in Atyapland, Southern Kaduna and Kaduna State.

He called on the people to remain calm and always be vigilant by promptly reporting any suspicious movement in their areas to the appropriate authorities, stressing that internal vigilance is the price of freedom.

The PDP state chairman also appealed to everyone not to give in to the antics of those behind the attacks by taking the laws into their own hands but allow constituted authority bring the perpetrators to face the full wrath of the law.

Hyat advised that no one should create a reason for the outbreak of violence in the area or the imposition of punitive security measures that would lead to the postponement, cancellation or manipulation of the elections in the zone but urged all to be law abiding.

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to be disturbed by the recent security developments in Southern Kaduna but assured that the people of the zone are unshaken in their resolve to be peaceful and participate in the next round of elections on March 18, 2023, no matter the level of provocation in order to elect candidates of their choice.

He encouraged those that want to travel home for the elections not to relent or be scared because of the attacks.

He prayed for the repose of the innocent lives lost, speedy recovery of the injured, and comfort to the chiefdoms, direct families, and communities affected by the recent spade of attacks in the zone.