The Kaduna State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has raised an alarm over what it described as indiscriminate arrest of its key members by security agents on the orders Governor Nasir El-Rufai ahead of the Governorship election in the state.
While strongly condemning the arbitrary arrest, the PDP stressed that the action of Governor El-Rufai is blatant abuse of power, adding however that it was clear that the APC-led government style of arresting its members was as a result of the staring defeat in the coming elections.
The PDP said that El-Rufai would be held responsible if anything happens to any of the PDP members currently in detention.
Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the PDP, Mr. Hassan Hyet, who stated the position of the party at a press conference in Kaduna, said that information at the disposal of the party indicated that El-Rufai-led APC Government in Kaduna State has drawn up a list of people to be arrested in the various Local Government Areas as part of plans to cripple the PDP.
Hyet said that the desperation of El-Rufai has reached a crescendo level and really unbecoming of an elected governor who is on Oath to be fair to all.
In the words of Hyet; “The desperation of Governor El-Rufai and the APC governorship candidate is such that they are moving from one Local Government to another, threatening the remaining traditional/Ward heads and civil servant with dismissal should they fail to deliver them”.
The PDP specifically said that apart of some of its members already arrested, El-Rufai has also given directive to the security agencies in state to pick up more of its members ahead of the rescheduled governorship election in the state.
Hyet also accused the APC in the state of stylishly engaging in vote buying contrary to the provisions of the law and therefore called on anti-corruption agencies and other security agencies to take all necessary steps to arrest the trailer loads of rice, indomie, maggi, etc being sent to various Local Government Areas in the State to influence the poor voters, stressing that the action is pure vote buying which is against the law.
He said that the deliberate harassment and intimidation of members of the PDP by El-Rufai is worrisome and calls for concern before it snowballs to an uncontrolled situation.
According to Hyet; “Three of our members were earlier arrested including our Assistant Campaign Director in charge of Broadcast, Hon Saidu Adamu as well as El-Abbas Mohammed and Talib Mohammed Lawal.
“These are several acts of calculated harassment that the APC government has initiated against the members of the opposition party.
“We recall that on 30/01/2023, we had cause to write a petition to the Commissioner of Police when 14 of our members were randomly arrested in Kudan Local government.
“We wrote another petition on 01/03/2023 asking the Police to be mindful of plans by the APC to incite the public through the use of some Islamic clerics.
“We draw the attention of Nigerians and the international community to these undemocratic acts of harassment against PDP members in Kaduna state.
“We demand the immediate release of those arrested, or be charged to a competent court so that the needed legal process can start. Doing otherwise would amount to an infringement of their fundamental human rights and a clear misuse of state power.
“We also request that the security agencies in Kaduna State stay neutral in all the electoral processes in the state. This would help the state to stay peaceful before and after the March 18, Gubernatorial and state Assembly Elections.
Commenting on alleged vote buying, the PDP Chairman noted that Kaduna State under Governor El-Rufai has never donated any item either during Sallah, Ramadan fasting, Christmas or Easter to the people of the State and therefore wondered why the Greek gift at this point in time.
