Date: 2019-02-06

The Federal Government on Tuesday stressed that it has no regrets on its moves to rid Kwara of all thugs and criminals ahead of the election to provide a level playing field for all parties.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed gave the government position at a media briefing in Abuja.

Mohammed was reacting to allegation by the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Kwara state chapter, that the federal government planned to clamp down on the opposition parties in the state ahead of the forthcoming general election.

"This allegation by the shadowy CNPP is a panic reaction to my consistent call on the security agencies to rid Kwara State of all known thugs and other criminals ahead of the elections, in order to provide a level playing field for all the parties.

"A similar action by security agencies went a long way in ensuring the success of the Nov. 17, 2018 bye-election in the Irepodun/Ekiti/Oke-Ero/Isin Federal Constituency in the state.

"The election won by our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), was widely adjudged to be free, fair and peaceful.

"There is indeed every reason for thugs and other criminals in the state to worry, because they will not be allowed to cause violence or disrupt the conduct of the election," he said.

The minister stressed that the clampdown on criminals in the state had "unsettled those whose modus operandi is to use thugs and hooligans to snatch ballot papers, disenfranchise voters and generally terrorise the citizenry during elections".

He assured all law-abiding residents of the state that they had nothing to be afraid of because security agencies would provide the enabling peaceful environment for voters to exercise their franchise.

Mohammed also called on the people to disregard "the orchestrated hysteria by the so-called CNPP, which is nothing but the face of the drowning dynasty that has held the state by the jugular for years".

The minister also stressed the APC campaign slogan in Kwara, "O To Ge!!!" , meaning, "enough is enough".