By: Muhammad Sabiu – Kaduna
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State, Felix Hassan Hyet has sought the intervention of the International community over the arrest of its members on political grounds.
He spoke at a press conference in Kaduna on Thursday evening. According to him, “the PDP in Kaduna State holds this press conference as a matter of urgent necessity in view of the acts of deliberate harassment and intimidation that members of the PDP are experiencing in this state now.”
“Right now the Assistant Campaign Director in charge of broadcast department, Hon.Saidu Adamu has only been released on bail after being arrested by the DSS since March 7th 2023.
“El Abbas Mohammed and Tajuddeen Ali Mohammed Lawal are also 2 of our members that have been arrested and currently in detention.
“We’ve it on good authority that the directive had been given by the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam El Rufai to security agencies in Kaduna state to arrest members of the PDP campaign management team.
“Already trump-up cases have been prepared for each of our members. These are acts of calculated harassment that the APC government has initiated against our members.
“We recall that on the 30th of January this year, we had cause to write a petition to the Commissioner of Police when 14 of our members were randomly picked in Kudan LGA.
“We wrote another petition on the 1st of March this year asking the police to be mindful of plans by the APC to incite the public through the use of some Islamic clerics.
“We the PDP strongly condemn and reject this blatant abuse of power by the APC-led government.
“Though we agree that this harassment is because the APC government in Kaduna State is staring defeat in the coming elections. We want them to know that they would be held responsible if anything happens to our members currently in detention.
“We draw the attention of Nigerians and the international community to these undemocratic acts of harassment against PDP members in our state.
“We ask for either the immediate release of those arrested or charged to a competent court so that the needed legal process can start.
“Doing otherwise would amount to 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 will help the state would stay peaceful before and after the March 18th gubernatorial and state assembly elections.
“Information reaching us is that the APC government in Kaduna State has drawn up list of people to be picked in various local government areas in order to cripple the PDP.
“This is very unbecoming of an elected governor who is on oath to be fair to all.
He said El Rufai and Uba Sani were now moving from one LG to another threatening the remaining traditional rulers, ward heads and civil servants with dismissal should they fail to deliver their polling units to the APC.
To this end, the party called on EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies, security agencies alike, to take the necessary action by arresting trailer loads of rice, indomie, Maggi etc, being sent to various local government areas in the state to influence the poor voters.
“This is pure vote buying which is against the law. We must know that the APC government in Kaduna State has never donated such items either during Ramadan fasting, Sallah, Christmas or Easter to the masses of Kaduna State. Why now.
We call on the good people of Kaduna State to remain resolute and focused. Do not sell your future and the future of your children and the unborn for a morsel that would not last more than a day.”
“The time to chase out this satanic regime is now and PDP is the solution.
He, therefore, called on all their party members and well-wishers to remain law-abiding,” he said
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