The Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, has condemned the bloody turn of events at the flag off campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State.
Recall that one person died while several others sustained injuries when two factions of the National Union Road Transport Workers, NURTW, clashed at the event on Tuesday, Jan. 8.
SPN noted that it was a shame that a party, which could not organise a rally, wanted to continue governing Lagos.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Soyombo K. Monsuru, the party drew a pattern of violence at APC events recalling “that similar violence characterized the APC ‘primaries election’ across Lagos State wherein guns and other dangerous weapons were freely used.”
It noted that APC bigwigs cannot disassociate themselves from the mayhem that happened on Tuesday, insisting that “the mayhem contractors get funding and economic motivation from the ruling elite in Lagos.”
The party called on youths to eschew all forms of violence in the defense of corrupt politicians who have nothing to offer the generality of the masses.
“We call on the Nigerian youths to join the SPN and participate in politics of rescuing this country and stop becoming bell boys to the enemies of the masses,” the statement said.
Read the full text below
The Socialist Party of Nigeria condemns the bloody violence that happened at the APC flag off rally on the Tuesday 8th of January 2019 in Lagos State to support their gubernatorial candidate; Babajide Sanwoolu and all other candidates of the party. It is a shame that a party that can hardly organize a campaign rally wants to continue to govern Lagos! We condemn this violence because it is largely ordinary poor persons and the masses, who were lured into the rally, that were used as cannon folders in the supremacy political battles and not the privileged party bigwigs who are the orchestrators of violence and are heavily guarded by the security apparatus of the state at the expense of the taxpayers.
Despite the heavy security presences at Sky Power Ground, it was shocking to see the sky of the event painted with bullets from the party loyalists, members and supporters. As reported in the media, one person died and several persons were injured including journalists and some seriously stabbed.
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How could they bypass the heavily armed security personnel with all the displayed weapons if they are not party loyalists who were allowed free access due to the influence they wield in the party?
We must not forget that similar violence characterized the APC ‘primaries election’ across Lagos State wherein guns and other dangerous weapons were freely used. For instance, APC supporters/members in Lagos have been tearing and bringing down opposition parties posters and other campaign materials, particularly campaign materials of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN). This underlines the fact that the politics of APC just like the PDP and some other bourgeois parties in Nigeria is largely anti-people/masses.
APC party bigwigs cannot disassociate themselves from the mayhem that happened on Tuesday because the mayhem contractors get funding and economic motivation from the ruling elite in Lagos.
We implore the youths to eschew all forms of violence in the defense of corrupt politicians who have nothing to offer the generality of the masses. We call on the Nigerian youths to join the SPN and participate in politics of rescuing this country and stop becoming bell boys to the enemies of the masses.
