WARRI (Delta) – A candidate for the Warri South Constituency I seat in the Delta State House of  Assembly in the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Saturday general election, Barrister Robinson Ariyo has appealed to his supporters to remain calm in the face of unwarranted provocations by political opponents, saying that security agencies are on top of the situation.
Briefing the press in Warri at the weekend, Ariyo a peace building consultant,  expressed dismay at the attitude of  desperate  politicians who supposedly are respected members of the public,  yet sponsoring the  destruction of  properties belonging to  perceived enemies
“I have called you here today because of the concerns I have in my heart about our nascent democracy; I woke up this morning to see that more,  ten (10) of my campaign bill boards  have been destroyed by my political opponents.
The State House of Assembly aspirant who flayed the just concluded  presidential and parliamentary elections in the state ,  said they were characterised by irregularities, ranging from intimidation, harassment and threats to violence.
Citing Ubeji town, he alleged that in the last elections,    the Peoples  Democratic  Party (PDP) stationed thugs  at the polling units  who prevented secret voting as required by the electoral law. He said people were forced to vote under the glaring eyes of these thugs who determined the party each voter voted  for .
According to him,  the APC  has formally lodged a  complain to the  Inpspector General of (IG) , Police,  Warri Area Command as well as the chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) about the irregularities that characterised the exercise.
While lamenting the wanton destuction  of his  posters and bill boards by thugs loyal to his male opponent  ,Ariyo said there were instances where photograghs were taken by the thugs apparently to feed back the sponsors of  this  dastardly acts, adding that he has been worst hit by this destruction.
“I can tell you without mincing words  that I am  one person who has suffered  most of this  vandalisation and destruction of  campaign bill boards and posters.
“l am  not in government, l am only a  struggling young lawyer, who has submitted himself as an altetnative for his people. Those bill boards cost me nothing less than #250,000 .
“l have chosen the part of civility, because an eye for an eye will blind the world”.
Alleging the acquisition of dangerous weapons by his opponents ahead of the forthcoming elections, he said, We have reports that plan have also been perfected to repeat the same irregularities in the next elections as  guns, cutlasses, and axes have been bought to harrass and intimidate voters during the next elections while threat messages sent to them to the tone that  if they are not ready to vote for the PDP,  they will have themselves to blame.”
While warning that no one person has the monopoly of violence, Ariyo said, as a peace loving person who believes in the rule of law, he has chosen the path of civility.
“Those who makes peaceful resolutions impossible, make violence inevitable”,  he said.
Reassuring the people of Warri South  constituency 1 of sustainable development through robust and vibrant representation, he promised to also give priority to qualitative education if elected, urging  them to remain undaunted and vote enmasse for the APC.
Ariyo called on security agents to beef up security in his constituency on April 11,2015, to ensure the elections are free from electoral malpractices and violence.