Chairman, Lagos State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Otunba Segun Adewale, has decried the continued detention of the party gubernatorial aspirant in the 2015 general election, Mr. Babatunde Olalere Gbadamosi, describing the development as an attempt by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to silence the opposition.
Tribune Online recalled that Gbadamosi was arrested by operatives of Directorate of State Service (DSS) early last Wednesday for reasons not made public and has since been detained at the agency headquarters in Abuja.
The PDP chairman gave the condemnation on Sunday in a statement made available on arrival from Abuja where he went to pay a solidarity visit to the national chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.
“The intolerance attitude of the ruling APC of opposing views signals danger for our nascent democracy. The recent acts of dictatorship exhibited by our security agencies sadden my heart, how could we have gotten to this stage in our democratic history?
“How could we have descended from a nation that signed into law the freedom of information bill at one point to a nation where anyone with opposing view to the ruling government is arrested, intimidated and molested by state security apparatus?
“This action goes to confirm allegations that the APC- led administration was never prepared for inclusive governance and that it is a government of deceit built on lies and vendetta,” he said.
The PDP boss, while describing Gbadamosi as “a forthright, enterprising and illustrious son of Lagos State as well as a very active member of the state chapter of the party,” cautioned the APC led Federal Government on the danger of turning the country into a one party state by squashing those who regularly criticize their mal-administration.
According to him, “Objective criticism and a vibrant opposition are necessary ingredients in any thriving democracy,” calling on the DSS to resist every attempt by politicians to use the agency as a tool to oppress the citizens