The APC, through its National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in a statement on Thursday that the members of staff of the organisation, especially its spokesperson, Ms Marilyn Ogar, needed proper education and exposure.
Corroborating its allegation of DSS’ partisanship, the party condemned the selective complaint against its National Publicity Secretary in Osun State during the August 9 election.
It said the outfit deliberately kept quiet on the presence of the Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro , and others in the state during the poll.
The statement reads in part, “How can a spokesperson for such a sensitive government agency not understand that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides for freedom of movement?
“On what basis is Ms. Ogar questioning what the APC’s National Publicity Secretary was doing in Osun State when the same fellow has not questioned the presence of Obanikoro, Chris Uba and the likes in the same state. Or are those people from Osun State?
“Was it not publicly announced that the APC was moving its headquarters to Osun State to give support to Governor Rauf Aregbesola? Why didn’t Ms. Ogar question the presence of President Goodluck Jonathan or Vice-President Namadi Sambo in Osun State when they came too if she was being fair?
“It is sad that Ms. Ogar has turned herself to the spokesperson of the PDP by echoing what that party had said on the Osun State election. This is unprofessional and irresponsible.”
The party said that the claim by Ogar on a national television that APC leaders were arrested in Osogbo for loitering on the eve of the election depicted the height of ignorance and amounted to an embarrassment to the DSS.
It added, “The spokesperson for the agency, Ms. Ogar, should be properly trained and given the necessary exposure so she can speak with knowledge and facts, instead of making baseless and incautious statements.
“It is sad that a spokesperson for the DSS does not know there is no offence called ‘loitering’ under Nigerian laws. For her to now go on national television to say the APC National Publicity Secretary was arrested for ‘loitering’ in Osogbo on the eve of the governorship election is the height of ignorance and constitutes a great embarrassment to the DSS.
“It is even worse that the so-called spokesperson, ever so glib, would make a joke out of such a faux pas by an agency that is supposed to be non-partisan and highly professionalised.
“How on earth can any human being not be disoriented when 15 hooded gunmen arrest him/her and point their weapons at his/her head as they did to me on that night in Osogbo?”
Source: Punch