BY LUKA BINNIYAT
All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP,  yesterday said its gubernatorial candidates in some states were daily visited with violence and all kinds of intimidation a few weeks to the April 11 general polls.

National Chairman of the ANPP, Chief Ogbonoya Onu, who made this known in Abuja while receiving delegations of Muslims, Catholic youths and Abuja Traders Association, condemned the act. Ogbonoya said no genuine candidates would want to kill their opponent if he really wanted to serve sincerely.

Onu said: “We are still mourning the assassination of our Borno State gubernatorial candidates, Alhaji Modu  Gubio who was murdered in Maiduguri recently.

“In Gombe State, our aspirant (Alh. Saidu Gumo) is daily facing harassment.  Tear gas has been thrown into his family home, where his wife, children and dependant live.

“In Zamfara State, our candidates  are always harassed and intimidated by our rivals.  It is becoming very unsafe for them to hold rallies or meetings.

“In Ebony State State, our gubernatorial candidate and our other candidates are not allowed to hold meetings.

“Anytime they gather to meet in the home of any of our aspirant, they would be beaten up my thugs, and sometimes even beaten and dragged to the police station, where they are further locked up.

“The story is the same in Niger state. Our opponents in Niger state know how powerful our candidate (Mr. Richard Umaru) is and they are doing everything to intimidate him and his supporters with violence.

“There are so many of these violence against our aspirants in many states, and we have lodge some formal complaints with the Police.

“As a party, the ANPP does not believe in the application of violence in politics by whatsoever means.

“We believe that if you really want to serve your electorates, who don’t have to kill or intimidate others to reach that office.

“Violence has been the hallmark of the ruling party and the problem is getting worse by the day with the use of bombs now.

“When we take over government, we are going to make sure that we give security a special attention, because without security all other developments amounts to nothing.”