Less than 48 hours to the 2023 Governorship and State Assemly elections nationwide, the convoy of the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, was on Thursday night attacked allegedly by the armed officials of the State government-backed Anti-thuggery Committee.
Lawal’s convoy was attacked on Sani Abacha Way within the GRA in Gusau, the State capital.
In a press statement issued in Gusau on Thursday, the Dauda Lawal Media Office claimed that the attack was unprovoked and was an attempt to assassinate the PDP governorship candidate.
The Anti-thuggery Committee was said to have ambushed the convoy and opened fire on the campaign vehicles in Lawal’s convoy during the attack on Thursday night, with scores of police escorts injured.
The DL Media Office noted that this was the second time within a month that the Anti-thuggery Committee had made attempts on the life of the Zamfara State PDP governorship candidate.
Lawal, together with some party members and supporters, had a last-minute campaign rally in Magami, Wanke and Mada areas of the State before the attack.
The statement reads in parts: “The Zamfara State government is hell-bent and desperate to cause chaos in a few days to the governorship polls across the country.
“This clandestine move by the APC government is a clear sign that the odds are not in their favour, a reason why they resorted to the use of the illegally formed anti-thuggery committee to assassinate the PDP candidate.
“The convoy of the Zamfara State PDP Governorship candidate, Dauda Lawal on Thursday, March 16, 2023, came under heavy attack from armed men of the illegal anti-thuggery committee on the Sani Abacha Way of the GRA in Gusau Local Government Area of the state.
“Dauda Lawal had gone to some areas for a last-minute campaign and on his way back home, the uniformed anti-thuggery launched a heavy attack on him, spraying his car and backup vehicles with bullets.
“This is the second time within a month that the anti-thuggery assassins have made attempts on the life of the PDP Candidate.
“The anti-thuggery committee had on the 23rd February, 2023 fired gunshots at Lawal’s convoy which had his wife on board.
“The anti-thuggery is operating illegally in Zamfara State, because there is an existing court order restraining the committee from harassing, intimidating, brutalizing, terrorizing, arresting, detaining, and any form of torture of members of the opposition parties.
“Although no life was lost in the recent onslaught by the illegal anti-thuggery committee, one of the security men attached to the PDP governorship candidate sustained injuries.
“We call on the relevant security agencies to be vigilant, especially these few days that the election is fast approaching.”
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