The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
after due consideration of the state of the nation, particularly the
clampdown on opposition and dissenting voices, states as follows;
The PDP alerts all Nigerians that the All Progressives Congress (APC)
and its Federal Government have commenced a vicious and direct clampdown
of major opposition leaders, perceived political opponents and
individuals with interests and views that are divergent to those of
their Presidential aspirant, perhaps, candidate, President Muhammadu
Buhari, ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The clampdown is tailored to silence opposition as well as those who
refused to join or support the APC in their unlawful design to
emasculate other political parties, undermine our laws and electoral
system, foist a one-party state and perpetuate their incompetent,
dysfunctional and anti-people rule on our nation.
It is instructive to inform that our leaders, particularly, our National
Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, have been receiving threats since the
PDP filed a petition to the United Nations and the Commonwealth of
Nations, detailing documented threats to democracy by the APC and its
Federal Government, abuse of human rights, mass killings, extra-judicial
executions, persecution of opposition and unabated constitutional
violations.
The PDP is aware of clandestine plots against key opposition leaders,
particularly, members of the PDP National Working Committee, some
dissenting members of the APC, members of the civil society, opinion
leaders, journalists and bloggers, who refuse to succumb to intimidation
and that such persons have already been listed and currently being
trailed by agents of the state.
This has become manifest in the plot to rope members of “nPDP”,
especially those in the National Assembly, into gun-running and murder
charges just because they came out to voice their opposition to the APC
government’s constitutional violations and executive brigandage in the
running of our nation’s affairs.
The PDP wants Nigerians and the international community to know those to
hold responsible should PDP leaders, as well as other members of the
opposition start falling victims of untoward situations like
assassinations, unexplained accidents, inexplicable “armed robbery”
attacks, high profile abduction and sudden disappearances.
These include wanton arrest, manhandling and detention of opposition
leaders on trumped-up charges, as well as illegal invasion of their
homes and businesses by agents of the state.
Apart from allegations of corruption, there are also plots to clamp down
and detain opposition leaders for charges bordering on treason and the
PDP is also aware that some compromised judicial officers have been
enlisted to give convictions and jail members of opposition as well as
dissenting voices, on flimsy grounds.
Moreover, we know that the APC is fixated with the PDP because of the
renewed popularity of our party among Nigerians, as the inevitable
vehicle to return power to the people, restore democracy, national
cohesion and safeguard our territorial integrity, come 2019.
The PDP’s response to all these plots is that we are not cowed. Nigeria
belongs to all of us and our laws on political engagements are very
clear. The PDP, as a party committed to democracy and freedom will
continue to uphold the inalienable rights of our citizens to free
speech, political association and to politically aspire to any position
in the land, including the Presidency.
Our party, therefore, urges all Nigerians to be alert, united and remain
resolute in their decision to collectively defend our democracy and its
tenets, constitutionally guaranteed personal freedom and the rule of law
in our nation.
