The PDP made this known following a riot that broke out in Sagamu local government on Monday where banks were burnt.
Recall that the state government, blamed PDP of masterminding the protest occasioned by the Naira scarcity.
While addressing journalist in Abeokuta the PDP Secretary in Ogun state on Tuesday, Dr. Sunday Solarin said the ruling All Progressives Congress is responsible for the crisis in the state.
The PDP Secretary argued that despite the fact that the CBN and President Muhammadu Buhari’s insistence that the old naira note should no longer be a legal tender, Governor Abiodun went round the town distributing old naira notes.
He explained further that, when the people could no longer deposit the old notes at the banks, they resorted to violence.
He described the Governor’s action as a way to instigate the general public against the government led by APC knowing full well that the old notes no longer legal tender.
“However, is on record that the government of Ogun state is taking undue advantage of this circumstances caused by his party. It is on tape that in the last few days despite the fact that the CBN and president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had maintain the position that the old notes should no longer be a legal tender, they have of course said that it shouldn’t be in circulation, despite this, the state governor went against the directive of Mr. President.
“The state government still went to town distributing money to people and doing this with the old notes. This is a way to instigate the general public against the government that they are presiding over and having given people this old notes, knowing fully well that it will no longer legal tender. People went to bank to see if they could actually give this money back to the bank, it was blatantly refused because that is the directive that the federal government had issued to banks, the directive CBN who regulate banking activity has also given to banks.
“I want to believe that it is the refusal of the banks to collect this money that triggered the riot that we witnessed in Sagamu yesterday. We wondered again why did this happened, a day after the Governor came to Sagamu to campaign.”
Solarin, however, said Governor Abiodun had failed in his fundamental and constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property of the people as the Chief Security Officer of the state.
He maintained that, the protest could have been prevented had it been the governor is proactive.
He said rather than the state government appeal to the calm the nerves of the people, the government shamelessly pointed accusing fingers to members of the opposition.
He, therefore, called on the electorate in the state to vote APC out on Saturday Presidential election and March 11 governorship election.
“Let me also say that, it is obvious that the current government had abandoned the fundamental and constitutional responsibilities of providing security of lives and property. Because the Governor of a state is the Chief Security Officer of the state and we know that reaction thrilling this currency problem is almost everywhere. We had it in Ibadan, Benin and everywhere.
“For a responsible government, all of these things could have been prevented, because it had already happened in Abeokuta one time, when somebody was mistakenly shot by security agency. We know that a responsible government should have forestall a repeated occurrence of this ugly incident. But of course, in their laxity, the government didn’t do anything, they waited until when youths went on rampage destroying property belonging to banks, caused chaos, restricting business activities and caused more hardship.
“They now came out shameless to address the public that the riot was caused by the members of the People Democratic Party and they were not ashamed of their public comment by pointing fingers to few of our candidate.
“Everything should not be taken political and because we are approaching election, I want to believe and admonished the state government to desist from inciting the public against any political party, either they should make statements that will restore calmness, that will bring peace in the society. Not statement that is capable of causing further destruction within the society.”
