Kogi: PDP Warns Police, Urges Members to Resist Harassment

Ahead of the November 21 gubernatorial election in Kogi state, the ruling party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the APC-led federal government and the police against unlawful harassment and detention of its members.

National publicity secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh In a statement issued on Wednesday, November 18 by the party’s national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, he said: “information available to us show that Police operatives, acting on the orders of the APC government have been hounding, beating-up and arresting PDP members and supporters.
“We want Nigerians and the international community to note that this attack is a clear fall-out from the secret meeting between the Presidency and security agencies and INEC, which we exposed earlier this week.
“The national leadership of the PDP condemns in the strongest possible terms, this reprehensible partisan deployment of state apparatus of power, which is a yet another clear indication that the Nigerian police may have become a compromised instrument in the hands of the APC federal government in its bid to forcefully take over PDP states.
“This intolerable and provocative operation by the Police cannot continue. Kogi state is a known PDP state and our members and supporters as free citizens cannot be treated as prisoners of war in a state where they are clearly in the majority. The people of Kogi state are being pushed to the wall and we invite the entire nation to note the avoidable growing tension occasioned by the desperation of the APC to take over the state.
“Consequently, we hereby state that we hold the Federal Government completely responsible should there be any civil unrest and/or breakdown of law and order in Kogi state or in any other part of the country where they have been exhibiting dictatorial and fascist tendencies.”
Meanwhile, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had vowed that the gubernatorial election in Kogi will be free and fair, pointing out that only the state electorates will be deciding the next governor.