Across section of Nigerians yesterday deplored the harassment of leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by security agencies ahead of the March/April elections.
The party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; the National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Director-General of the Buhari Presidential Campaign organisation, Governor Rotimi Amaechi; former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Timipre Sylva and former Kwara State governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, are among the leaders under surveillance.
Their phones are allegedly bugged.
Reacting to the development yesterday, individuals and groups across the country expressed disappointment at what they saw as moves to silence the opposition while Niger Delta militants who have been openly threatening national security are left untouched.
The Executive Director of the Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged (CENTREP), Oghenejabor Ikimi, called the harassment a manifestation of dictatorship by the ruling party.
“I state without mincing words that this is a reminder of the dark era of military rule in Nigeria, and a pointer to the desperation by the Presidency and the ruling party to intimidate and subdue members of the main opposition party and other opposition voices ahead of the postponed general elections.
“It is dictatorial and undemocratic. I think we are dangerously moving towards the dark old days of military juntas where might was always right and rule by force prevailed while the rule of law was made to prostrate.
“The federal government must halt these sinister acts of its security agencies on members of the opposition forthwith as same do not speak well about its human rights record.”
The South South chapter of the Buhari Legacy Foundation (BLF) berated the security agencies for failing to bring those threatening to set Nigeria on fire should President Jonathan lose his re-election bid to book.
Regional coordinator of the BLF, Francis Okporoko, said in Udu, Delta State yesterday that militants threatening war in the event that President Jonathan loses his re-election bid to keep shut.
He said: “We have continued to hear in the media recently words from people who claim to be Niger Delta militants, threatening the corporate existence of this country; people like Tompolo, Dokubo-Asari and the rest. We want to make it clear that they don’t represent the Niger Delta people. They should speak for themselves.
“ I think it’s unfortunate for anyone to come out to say Nigeria will break if Jonathan loses or Buhari wins. On the contrary, if Jonathan loses election, this country will not break, and if Buhari wins, this country will be better.
“We were all part of that struggle, but today, some of the ex-militants are living in affluence, living off the fruits of our commonwealth.
“If you look at the Urhobo people today, we have been marginalised for a very long time, but we have not threatened the corporate existence of this country.
“It is those who are enjoying the largesse of this country, those who are getting contracts worth billions of naira that are now the ones threatening the rest of us.”
Also condemning the harassment of the APC leaders,r Akure lawyer and rights activist, Charles Titiloye, said it is an further demonstration of the desperation of the ruling PDP to intimidate the APC.
“It signals the beginning of despotic and misuse of security apparatus to terrorise the opposition in the forth coming general election in Nigeria.
“This is an indication that the PDP is not interested in any peace accord but will resort to any means to retain power irrespective of the democratic yearnings of Nigerians for change.”
An APC leader in Ondo State, Senator Olorunnimbe Farukanmi, said the military siege “is uncalled for even under democratic setting. After 16 years of civil rule, it is worrisome that this situation is happening.
“My appeal to APC supporters and Nigerians as a whole is that they should shun violence. Don’t return violence for violence with the PDP administration which is on its way out.”
President of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Mandate (SNPM), Mr Augustine Chibudum, a socio-political organisation comprising Concerned South-South Movement (CSSM), South West Business League (SWBL), South East Peoples Agenda (SEPA) and Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF) said the federal government should stop manifesting dictatorial tendencies.
“This is democracy and we want to warn the PDP that if anything happens to Tinubu and other APC leaders, we are going to hold them responsible.
“Tinubu is a man that has come out to defend democracy since 1999 as governor of Lagos State, as the national leader of the ACN and now the APC. He has been going around suing for peace, non-violence and free and fair elections.
“This is a democratic and true opposition, so we don’t see any reason why the government should send any military men to him.”
He reminded those who see President Jonathan as a sectional leader that he is indeed “the president of the whole country.”
“ So if the man loses the election, he should go back to his Otueke home. He was not born president. They should not see this country as their personal property because it belongs to each and every one of us.
“If the people want change, it is up to them. Let them go to the polls. If the people vote for Jonathan, so be it. If the people vote him out he also has to accept the outcome of the election.”
The National Vice Chairman (South-South) of All Progressives Congress,Mr. Hilliard Eta called the military siege shocking.
He said: “ we will not be intimidated. Most of the people put under surveillance are people who have reconciled themselves to the life of service. “This is just a continuation of the militarization of the democratic process that has become a recurring decimal in the way the Jonathan Presidency conducts its affairs.
“But we know that it has no place in democracy and decent society. So a few days down the line, less that 120 days from now, decent people will take over the reign of power in Nigeria and Nigerians would have their affairs conducted decently. That is the only thing we can do and hope for.”
The All Progressive Congress Volunteers (APC-V) group believes that democracy is going into extinction under the PDP government .
Its Chairman, Mr. Olusegun Bamigbose ,said the harassment of APC leaders by security operatives are manifestations of the threat to democracy constituted by the PDP.
Bamigbose, while addressing journalists in Kaduna cited threat by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) zone 2, Joseph Mbu to arrest erring state governors during the forthcoming election.
This,he said ,is a a indication that the former Rivers State Commissioner of Police, does not understand the 1999 constitution.
He said it is unfortunate that the ruling party is trying to bastardize and vandalise democracy in the country.
He said: “one is not trying to sound alarmist but the present realities on ground show that democracy is in serious danger of collapse and extinction in Nigeria. We cannot afford to keep quiet and watch our democracy ruined.”
