PDP accuses police of arresting 500 of its members in Ekiti as governorship election gets under way

TENSION remains high across Ekiti State as it goes to the polls today to elect a new governor after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claimed that more than 500 of its supporters have been arrested by the security forces.

In what is expected to be a close run contest, Ekiti State has been a political battleground for the last week as the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC) square up top each other. Former governor and Nigeria's ex-solid minerals minister Dr Kayode Fayemi is the APC candidate, while, incumbent deputy governor Professor Kolapo Olusola, is flying the PDP flag.

However, the outgoing governor, Ayo Fayose has been the centre of attention as the outspoken and controversial character who has emerged as the unofficial spokesman for the PDP over the last three years, attacking President Muhammadu's Buhari's record in government, is always in the news. Just this week, Governor Fayose claimed he was assaulted by the police and appeared in public wearing a neck brace and a sling.

Raising the political temperature further, Governor Fayose's spokesman  Lere Olayinka, accused the police of displaying bias and allegedly working for the APC. He added that PSDP members were being arrested by the police on the flimsiest of excuses in an attempt to intimidate the party ahead of the polls.

Mr Olayinka said: “People holding as little as N2,000 are being arrested for holding cash and some of them are being accused of armed robbery and stealing. However, we wish to tell Nigerians that Ekiti people are resolutely behind the PDP and its candidate Professor Kolapo Olusola.

"We are sure of winning the election, except the Independent national Electoral Commission decide to just allocate figures to the APC. We therefore urge Ekiti people not to be intimidated by the army of occupation laying siege on the state presently and they will triumph."