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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government of intimidating its governors and presidential aspirants.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, who made the accusations during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, added that governors Nyesom Wike and Ayo Fayose of Rivers and Ekiti states respectively and the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, have been marked by the Federal Government.
Ologbondiyan, who alleged that APC goverment has orchestrated plan to emasculate and harass members of the PDP, said a presidential committee has been setup to intimidate their leaders just as APC agents and some judicial officials have been holding meetings to indict PDP members on corruption at all cost.
While stating that the country’s constitutional democracy is under severe attack, he said agents of fascism are on the prowl.
He said Nigeria, as a nation is being pushed to the brinks and personal freedom of citizens under our constitution is no longer guaranteed.
He said: “In the light of the above, the repositioned and rebranded PDP, under the new leadership, rallied by the Nigerian people, wants to state unequivocally and in the strongest possible term that it will not in any way fold its arms and accept any attempt by the APC and the Federal Government to attack or undermine any of our leaders or members, or supporters at any level of political engagement.
“Let it be known to all that this is a repositioned PDP that cannot be cowed and that we are more than able, willing and overtly ready to use all means practical and available within the ambits of the law and the principles of democracy to stiffly resist and stop the APC and the Federal Government in this evil scheme.
“The PDP will no longer allow anybody to tarnish any of our elected and appointed officials, particularly our state governors and leaders in the National Assembly and members of our Working Committees at the national, zonal, state and even at the grassroots levels and will do all within our laws to protect them.
“We know that our governors, especially Governor Wike and Governor Fayose have been marked because of their principled position against the obvious incompetence, corruption and undemocratic credentials of the Buhari administration, for which Nigerians have been subjected to the worst form of suffering in the last three years.”
He added that “We have also been made aware of a special presidential committee put up by the APC Federal Government to persecute our leaders. Already, no fewer than 28 cases have been filed based on trumped up charges. Also we are privy to series of clandestine meetings between agents of the APC and some compromised judicial officers to get conviction at all cost.
“In the same vein, we are in the know of plots to embarrass credibleindividuals, particularly in the PDP, known or perceived to be interested in contesting the 2019 Presidential election, having realized that their party, the APC, is finally stuck with a very unpopular and rejected Presidential candidate, who can no longer command the support of Nigerians.
“We also want to bring to the attention of the international Community that in its desperate attempt to win election, the APC-led Federal Government is stopping at nothing, including resort to undemocratic proclivities.
“The world is already aware of the unrelenting Gestapo style of persecution, arrests, detention and trial of opposition members as well as perceived opponents of the government, including innocent business concerns, under the guise of war against corruption.”
The party said while it is not opposed to the fight against corruption, which it started through the establishment of credible anti-corruption institutions, they demand that prosecutions must be done in a credible, transparent, legitimate and constitutional manner.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
