Buhari, APC violating peace accord ― Secondus

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has said the President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressive Congress (APC) have declared war on the main opposition party leaders across the country, thus violating the peace accord signed by the political parties.

The party boss, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, declared the accord dead as according to him, all the terms of the agreement for peace have been broken by the ruling APC who he noted has deployed military and the Police operatives to arrest and detain PDP.  leaders across the country.

He said that the party expected the Peace Committee and the international community to note “the declaration of war on PDP leaders across the country by over zealous security operatives specially raised for this purpose as they operate in violation of the peace accord.”

Secondus was of the view that the APC and President Buhari are not disposed towards peace “as they have flagrantly violated the terms of the agreement.”

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Secondus revealed that reports reaching him from Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Kano Kaduna and other states showed that PDP leaders were being harassed with arrest and detention by security operatives on flimsy reasons.

He noted that while APC was using military and Police personnel to chase PDP leaders across the country, they continued to give protection to APC leaders “as they ferry money and election materials to various locations.”

The statement signed by his Messi adviser, Ike Abonyi, added: “Private jets belonging to APC leader in Lagos  have been stationed at the airports protected by government operatives as money is being moved from the Central bank of Nigeria, CBN, to states.”

The PDP boss advised that General Abdulsalmi Abubakar-led National Peace Committee to take copious notice of all the happenings and note that APC and President Buhari were not disposed to any peace accord.

Secondus added that all the ingredients of peace have been disregarded by the APC operatives “who have decided to even run foul of the Electoral Act in their desperation to cling on to power even when it’s obvious that Nigerians have turned their back on them.”

Meanwhile, the PDP demanded the immediate release of its presidential campaign spokesperson in Kogi state, Mr. Austin Okai, who was it said abducted on Friday evening by armed thugs allegedly unleashed by the APC.

The party also said the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, should immediately disband the checking point in Banda, Lokoja-Abuja highway, where the members of opposition are being harassed and intimidated.

The PDP said its members, as well as the people of Kogi state, cannot stomach the abduction of Okai as well as the arrest of its members for flimsy reasons by the APC.

PDP cautioned that the continued stay in captivity of Kogi state party leaders can spark off a crisis in the state.

A separate issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary and Director, Media & Publicity PDP Presidential Campaign Organization said: “We urge the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, to immediately step into the matter to forestall a break down of law and order. This is because, if Mr. Austin Okai and others are not immediately released by the APC, it would send a very wrong signal to the already agitated youth and lead to a resort to self-help.”

The PDP also alerted of the arrest of its ward chairmen in Rivers state by soldiers, particularly in Abua-Odual Local Government Area, ostensibly in compliance with the orders of the Buhari Presidency.

“The mass arrest in Rivers is coming on the heels of the clampdown of PDP members in Kano state with the arrest of our party leaders and campaign officials including our Senatorial candidate Ahmed Haruna Bichi and a serving member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Garba Bichi,” it stated.

The PDP noted that these were two very volatile states and any act that suggested a clampdown by the authorities might lead to vehement resistance by the people and trigger crisis in the state.

It called on Nigerians to note how the Buhari Presidency and the APC “are pushing Nigerians to the wall” and invited the international community to hold President Buhari directly responsible for these infractions against innocent Nigerians.