By Abdulmumin Murtala

KANO—All Progressives Congress, APC, government in Kano State  and opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are accusing each other of breaching the peace accord signed by political parties in the state ahead of the general election.

APC & PDP

While PDP claimed APC was using thugs to attack and disrupt its campaigns, including vandalising its posters and other campaign materials, APC and the government insisted that  PDP was diverting attention and washing off its hands off the group’s widely publicised attacks on residents during its a political rally in Kano Municipal and Tarauni Local Government Areas.

The Kwankwasiyya Movement under PDP and its governorship candidate,  Abdulsalam Aminu, had at a recent briefing  accused the government and APC of planting thugs to obstruct its political rallies in the state.

Among others,  Aminu said: “Despite our resolution to go about our campaign in peaceful manner devoid of carrying any weapon or attack any person, the ruling party under Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has gone on the rampage to destabilise our campaign rallies.

“We have traversed 37 local government areas without record of attack or crisis in the last five week but just recently APC seems to have been jittery with the support of common people. They have hired thugs to cause crisis at our campaigns and destroy our campaign banners and posters.”

Reacting, the state’s Commissioner for Information,  Malam Muhammad Garba, said:“Kwankwasiyya is seriously troubled by inundated media reports in radio and newspapers on how its members brandishing dangerous weapons unbridled trepidation on residents in some parts of the metropolis by destroying vehicles, motorbikes   assaulting and grabbing mobile phones from whoever came their way.

“We have resisted the temptation to dismiss these false alarm as mere distraction common during electioneering. However, we are mindful of this deliberate plot by the group to instil fear in the minds of residents by unleashing violence on the state and portraying the APC in a bad light”

Malam Garba said the APC is appalled that there seems to be a deliberate attempt by the opposition group, having got a whiff of defeat at the polls, to resort to the use of thuggery as part of a calculated attempt to scuttle the peaceful and orderly 2019 elections.