Shehu Abubakar, Maiduguri
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Borno State has complained of the persistent destruction of its campaign structures and attacks on its candidates in the state, allegedly by the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Borno state chapter finds it highly imperative to draw the attention of the good people of Borno to the dangerous political trends capable of plunging our dear state into wanton violence and disruption of the emergent fragile peace that we have collectively fought for,” the party complained in a statement signed by its State Chairman of the party, Barr. Mohammed Mustapha, and circulated to newsmen.
“On Friday, January 20, 2023, the campaign billboards of our Presidential candidate, His Excellency Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and that of the Borno Central Senatorial candidate, His Excellency Attom Magira Tom, were violently attacked and destroyed in strategic locations across the Maiduguri Metropolis and other major communities within the constituency,” the party said.
“This attack on our campaign structures was coming barely two weeks after similar destruction was carried out on the same number of billboards,” the party complained further.
“As law-abiding members of a party whose principles have resonated with the electorates, we did not call for counter-violence,” saying, “Instead, we urged our teaming supporters to remain calm and law-abiding while the leadership of NNPP reported the matter to the concerned security agencies.”
The party expressed shock that “The Friday incident of an attack on our billboard was carried out in a coordinated fashion on the night of the very day we replaced our duly authorised billboards.”
The party alleged: “It is even more saddening to note that the APC and its thugs did not only destroy our billboards, but they also went ahead to replace the banners on them with those of some of their own APC candidates, even though we have paid the Borno state government all the required fees for the advertisement permit.”
The party listed some of the locations where its billboards were destroyed within the Maiduguri metropolis alone.
“For the avoidance of doubts, we want the public to fact-check our claims by visiting the West-End Roundabout, the Dandal Police station Roundabout, the Post Office Roundabout, Opposite Metro Police Division, the Adjacent Government College Maiduguri, Adjacent FGC Monguno, Adjacent Umaru Shehu General Hospital, Airport Roundabout, LM Bakery Junction at GidanMadara, Bulunkutu Yan-Nono, Bama Road/Lagos Street Junction, Adjacent UBA along Sir Kashim Road, and host of many other places to verify our claims.”
NNPP alleged further: “We want to kindly remind the general public that this attitude of violence by the APC and its government did not start today.”
