The All Progressives Congress (APC)
has alerted the nation to the systematic arrest, harassment and intimidation of
its members and supporters in Gombe by the PDP-led government in the state and
its police collaborators.
In a statement issued in Lagos on
Friday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the
party said the clampdown on the APC in Gombe is similar to what obtains in
Bayelsa state, over which the party had cause to raise the alarm on May 14th,
and is sure to extend to other states as the 2015 general elections approach,
because of the desperation and anti-democratic credentials of the PDP.
It said the situation in Gombe State
is marked by the continuous destruction of APC properties, including offices,
flags, posters, banners and billboards in most of the local government areas
and party headquarters.
”Sadly, the police who are maintained
by taxpayers’ funds and are expected to be non-partisan have been providing
cover for the PDP agents who engage in this destructive spree, while being
quick to arrest our members and supporters who try to resist the destruction of
our party’s properties.
”In addition, the police engage in
frequent arrest and detention of our youths and supporters, who are then
charged to court in an action that is clearly aimed at weakening their resolve
to exercise their constitutional rights of free association, and ultimately to
destabilize our party.
”Such arrests and intimidation of our
youth and other supporters have occurred in Dukku, Balanga, Kaltungo, Akko,
Nafada and Gombe, and the latest occurred a few days ago involving the mass
arrest of our members, especially youths,” APC said.
The party expressed concern that the
arrests and other acts of intimidation are about to increase, as the DPO of
Gombe Division, DSP Babayola, has been tacitly empowered with a fleet of hilux
vans to destabilize the APC in Gombe Metropolis, which is the epi-centre of the
arrest, detention and torture of APC members.
It reminded the police that the
destabilization of opposition political parties, arrest and intimidation of
opposition members and supporters and the provision of cover for thugs to
destroy the properties of opposition political parties are not part of the
constitutional duties of the police, hence they should desist from engaging in
what is clearly an unconstitutional act.
”On our part, we will continue to
monitor and document these acts of brigandage and the role of the police, with
a view to ensuring that they are lawfully challenged in due course. We also
call on the police hierarchy to call their officers and men in Gombe to order,
now that they have become an accomplice to political brigandage and also become
glaringly partisan,” APC said.
The party appealed to its members and
supporters in Gombe to continue to eschew violence and maintain their peace,
even in the face of obvious provocation from the intolerant and anarchic
PDP-led government in the state.