The All Progressives Congress on Monday raised the alarm over the arrest and harassment of its members in Bayelsa State, and accused the Presidency of masterminding the action, which it said was an attempt to rid the state of opposition ahead of 2015 election.
In a statement by the Interim National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the plan being allegedly pursued by the Federal Government led by the Peoples Democratic Party to ensure that the opposition does not win elections in the President’s home state.
APC said the plan aimed at decimating leaders of the APC in Bayelsa through arrests, persistent harassment and ceaseless intimidation.
The party noted that: ”Mr. Samuel Ogbuku, the former Chief of Staff to Ex-Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva, who is a key APC leader in the state, has been arrested in connection with a murder that took place in 2010. Curiously, Mr. Ogbuku, who has been resident in the state and who has no immunity from arrest, is just now being picked up by the police over a murder that took place over three years ago.
”Realising that the suspect whom the police claimed mentioned Mr. Ogbuku’s name in connection with the murder has recanted, hence the murder charge can no longer be sustained, the police quickly dragged him to court on a charge related to cultism. The plan by the police, who arrested Mr. Ogbuku in commando style while returning from a funeral, had been to take him into custody along with Mr. Sylva and one Israel Sunny-Goli, but the other two did not attend the funeral.”
It added that: ”A democratically-elected President cannot and must not shut the democratic space against the opposition, whether in his home state where he is expected to show leadership by example or anywhere else across the federation. We are therefore calling on the Presidency to stop the harassment and intimidation of our members in Bayelsa State.”
It also warned that further harassment, intimidation and threat to the lives of its members in the state will not be tolerated. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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