Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has alleged that members of his party are being killed, kidnapped and intimidated across states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The national chairman made the allegation when speaking to journalists at the APC secretariat on Monday night, November 19, Premium Times reports.
Oshiomhole accused PDP governors of using state institutions to undermine the basic democratic rights of APC members in states they govern, a situation he described as disturbing.
He made the claim after the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly sacked four more lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the APC.
“(There is) a very disturbing development in a couple of states where the PDP is misusing the state instrument – using the police to undermine the basic democratic rights of APC members – in those states where they have governors,”Oshiomhole said.
“A typical example is what has happened today in Akwa Ibom State where the commissioner of police, colluded with the governor to forcefully (remove) APC members out of the state house of assembly.
“The commissioner went beyond (his line) of duty to aid and abate what is clearly wrong. It is not the business of the police to assist political authorities to effect their own biases with regards to the composure of the house.”
He said the alleged attack, assassination and intimidation being experienced by APC members in some states across the country are not normal
“The state chairman of APC in Enugu State narrowly escaped assassination. In Rivers State, two members of the house of assembly were abducted and one of those APC leaders kidnapped. His dead body had just been found,” the APC national chairman stated.
“We do not believe these are normal crimes, although no crime can be said to be normal. We are beginning to wonder, the way (in) which our party leaders, particularly in states (where) we do not have governors – the way they come under sustained attacks, violence, bullying and assassination – for me, these are very dangerous signals.”
The chairman urged all those involved in the political process to respect the right of every Nigerian to belong to a party of his choice.
Meanwhile, the ongoings in the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly have brewed a lot of reactions and comments from political circles in the country.
In a statement published by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, November 19, and made available to Legit.ng, the opposition entirely condemned the recent invasion of the House by some unknown hoodlums.
To some extent, the party in its statement blamed the police command for the development and referred to the incident as a near breakdown of order in the state legislature.