PDP condemns Police invasion of Melaye’s Abuja residence

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday condemned in strong terms the invasion of the Abuja residence of its Presidential Campaign’s Director of Civil Societies, Senator Dino Melaye in the early hours of Friday.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan.

According to the statement, “the party rejects the Gestapo-like attack on Senator Melaye residence and demanded that the invading security official vacate the premises immediately.

“Nigerians can recall that Senator Melaye had a few days ago alerted of a plot by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to forcefully arrest him and inject him with poisonous substances due to his outspokenness against the misrule, corruption and infractions of the Buhari administration.

“It is therefore devious of the Nigeria Police, which had distanced itself from the plot, to turn round to invade Senator Melaye’s residence, hold him hostage and beat up his domestic aides.

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“This invasion is part of the larger machination by the Buhari Presidency to use state apparatus of power, particularly the police under IGP Idris to harass, intimidate and clamp down on opposition members in a bid to create fear and subjugate the opposition ahead of the 2019 general elections.”

The party recalled the series of attacks and harassment on PDP leaders, including the airport attack on its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, by security officials and pointed out that such was a clear recipe for anarchy and a political crisis that was capable of destabilizing the nation.

It cautioned the Buhari Presidency to desist from such provocative acts as such could not bend the resolve by Nigerians to replace him with the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as their next president, come February 16, 2019.