Plans To Arrest Opposition Leaders Open...
Officials of the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Federal Government’s alleged plan to begin the arrest of the main opposition party’s national leaders just before next month’s general elections.
Officials of the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Federal Government’s alleged plan to begin the arrest of the main opposition party’s national leaders just before next month’s general elections.
In a statement issued in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Saturday, the APC’s state publicity secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, stated that the opposition party would resist any attempt by the PDP-led Federal Government to intimidate its national leaders.
Mr. Adesanya stated that the Federal Government’s alleged plan to detain and harass opposition politicians amounted to cowardice on the part of the PDP. He added that the plan to arrest the APC’s leaders was designed to scuttle the party’s success in the coming elections, vowing that Nigerians would resist any such move by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led government.
He warned Mr. Jonathan, the PDP, and security agencies to realize that the 2015 general elections are the “peoples’ elections.” Mr. Adesanya added: “The people will resist any forms of intimidation, harassment, arrest, molestation, detention of any member of the opposition by [the] Jonathan led-government.”
The APC official counseled “the security agencies in Nigeria, especially, the Nigeria Police Force, the Directorate of State Security, the military, Civil Defense Corps, to avoid the temptation of throwing our dear country [into] an avoidable chaos.
“If they refuse to back down on the plan to arrest APC leaders, then, they should be ready to arrest 65% of Nigerians. The mass of APC members and sympathizers in Nigeria would not watch our leaders in detention with mere sympathies; we would offer to join them.”
The statement reminded security agents that they are “first class victims of poor leadership and bad governance under President Goodluck Jonathan and PDP.” Mr. Adesanya stated, “Are they well funded? When last did the NPF and DSS receive 100% of their budgetary allocations as appropriated and approved by the National Assembly? When last has the Federal Government Nigeria distributed free uniforms to the Nigeria Police Force, especially the junior officers, from Inspector downward? Every police officer and DSS is entitled to a multi-functional walkie-talkie for an effective policing, but they got none.”
According to his statement, the “APC-led Federal Government will make proper funding of security agencies and their welfare a top priority. We hereby advise security agencies to shun partisanship no matter the temptation and embrace professionalism in the interest of the general good of Nigeria and her people.”
