PDP Govs. decry alleged persecution by security agencies

Governors elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have decried what they described as the politicization of the nation’s security agencies by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government.

Rising from an emergency meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum held at the Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja on Monday, the governors accused the security agencies of having become organs and tools of the federal government to harass and intimidate opposition and dissenting voices.

In a communique issued after the meeting and signed by the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, the governors also complained that security agencies were being used to perpetrate electoral fraud.

They cited instances of such abuse in states like Ekiti, Osun and Rivers states. They urged the security agencies to be non-partisan in the performance of their duties in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.

The communique read, “The Forum further condemned the flagrant violation of democratic ethos by operatives of this government as shown recently in the infamous act by the Police at the residence of Elder Statesman, Pa Edwin Clark, and the harassment of innocent Nigerians across the country on frivolous claims.

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“The Forum noted the INEC needs to reinvent itself as a truly independent umpire of the electoral process in the country. For now, we have no confidence in INEC. The commission has conducted itself as a tool of the APC-led Federal Government, especially with the roles of the Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, and a National Commissioner, Mrs. Amina Zakari.

“The Forum condemned the surreptitious, selective and suspicious payment of N16 billion purportedly from the Paris Club Refund. We are of the view that the money is to fund corrupt inducement of voters in the forthcoming Governorship election in Osun State on September 22, 2018.

“The Forum resolved to have an all-inclusive meeting with all the presidential aspirants, with the National Chairman, two national officers of the party, and the leaders of the party in both chambers of the National Assembly in attendance”.

The governors also condemned unequivocally, the refusal or failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law the amended Electoral Act.

According to them, the action of the President was an indication that Buhari and his party were afraid of electronic voting or the introduction of technology into the electoral system.

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