As the 2015 general elections draw nearer, the people of Kwara State have every cause to worry. This is not on account of Boko Haram insurgency, but about the dastardly activities of political thugs.

It's on record that political thugs had, between November 25 and 29 2014 carried out operations that set jitters down the spine of the people of the state.

The thugs said to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had on November 25, attacked the convoy of the state governor, Alh AbdulFatah Ahmed in Kaiama while on his way to the palace of the Emir of that town on a courtesy visit before the eventual flagging off of the Kaiama – Kishi road re-construction.

It was the turn of the National Planning minister, Dr Abubakar Sulaiman and Channels TV journalists, Alh AbdulHakeem Garba, who were at different locations attacked by some thugs of a faction of PDP in Ilorin, during the party's primaries to pick its candidates for the state House of Assembly election.

While channels TV journalist was attacked at Yebumult hotel, venue of the PDP primaries, the minister of National Planning was attacked at a hotel along Oko-Olowo area in the outskirts of Ilorin over allegation that he attempted to change the venue of the primaries illegally to that hotel facility.

To show the gravity of the Kaiama's attack on the governor's convoy, Governor Ahmed promptly lodged a complaint with the state commissioner of police, Salihu Garba, and the police investigation has led to the arrest of one suspect in connection with the attack.

The feelings of the ordinary citizens in the state is that if the governor of the state, a serving minister and a journalist can be brazenly attacked by thugs, then who else is safe from being attacked by the rampaging PDP's thugs.

Though, the PDP through its state publicity secretary, Chief Rex Olawoye has distanced its supporters from the attack on the governor's convoy just as it condemned the act, the party as at the time of this report, has not said anything on the attacks on the TV journalist and the minister of National Planning.

Perhaps, this deafening silence of the party is responsible for the barrage of criticisms that have greeted the attacks on the governor, the Channels TV journalist and the minister.

The state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) set the ball rolling by putting the blame on the door steps of suspected thugs of the PDP.

The party, in a statement by its publicity secretary, Alh Sulyman Buhari, described the alleged attack on the governor's convoy as a height of political provocation.

The statement reads: "Apparently bitter and terrified by the rousing reception accorded Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his entourage by APC members and the good people of Kaiama, a member of PDP state executive committee (SEC) led his armed thugs mounted ambush on the road around PDP secretariat which is not far away from the Emir's palace immediately after the turbaning.

"The armed thugs launched unprovoked attacks on the convoy of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed. Many vehicles were destroyed in the convoy while our party members sustained injuries.

"Kwara APC preaches and practices peace, even though all households in Kwara State are quite familiar with the violent antecedents and tendencies of the PDP.

We cannot fathom why the few armed PDP thugs on rampage in Kaiama on Tuesday would choose to welcome development with violence.

"We condemn the attack on Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed's convoy and APC members. It is the height of political provocation.

"The competence of the security agencies in Kwara State is being challenged by the activities of PDP thugs in the state. If the people in the governor's convoy cannot be immuned from ambush and attack, then, the ordinary people of Kwara State without privileges of police escort are at the mercy of rampaging PDP thugs.

"Security agencies should know that the attack on the governor's convoy is a signal to the well-oiled violence machinery the PDP intends to launch in Kwara State in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.

"We call on the police command and other security agencies in Kwara State to promptly investigate and bring to book the PDP thugs who orchestrated the attack.

"We state that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed represents the symbol of our unity and prosperity in Kwara State. We shall fight with the last drop of our blood to protect his security.

"Kwara APC has issued more than 15 press statements on the violent tendencies of the PDP in the state and nothing seems to have changed about PDP's threat to peace in Kwara State.

"The police command and other security agencies should not expect Kwara APC to continue to issue press statements after brutal attacks on APC members by a party that is less than 30 percent of our followership base in the state".

When contacted, the spokesman of the state police command, Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed that there was an alleged attack on the governor's convoy in Kaiama on Tuesday.

He, however, said that he was yet to be adequately briefed about the incident, saying: "I am sure some people would have been arrested."

Also, Governor Ahmed in a petition addressed to the state police commissioner on his behalf by Alh B. S. Abdulsalam, the senior special assistant on Security Intelligence, alleged that the hoodlums vandalized two vehicles belonging to the speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly and one Kayode Adams in the governor's convoy.

The complaint also indicated saying: "At about 3 o'clock in the morning of November 25, 2014, suspected PDP youth members in Kaiama destroyed some billboards of Governor Ahmed. The state government identified some PDP stalwarts in Kaiama as the brains behind the unfortunate incidents.

In its reactions to the attack on Channels TV journalist, the correspondents chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state urged law enforcement agencies in the state to ensure adequate protection and security for media practitioners.