ABAKALIKI—The Zonal Working Committee of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South-East, Monday, described the action of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State over the deportation of Ndigbo as unconstitutional, despotic and dictatorial.
In a statement by the zonal Publicity Secretary of the party, Ali Odefa, the PDP called on the leadership of All Progressives Congress, APC, to immediately recall, rehabilitate and compensate victims, whose rights were violated by the government of Lagos State.
Odefa, who stated that the action of Lagos State government was capable of destabilizing the fragile peace in the country, pointed out that the PDP would continue to uphold the rights and aspirations of Nigerians, irrespective of ethnic, religious, social and economic background.
The statement read in part: “The Peoples Democratic Party, in the South East geopolitical zone strongly condemns this unconstitutional, dictatorial, despotic and unjustified criminal deportation of Ndigbo by Lagos State government.
“We urge Nigerians and Ndigbo, especially, to be steadfast, calm as this act is just one of the many divisive strategies the APC has outlined in their unbridled quest to take power in Nigeria”.
“We also use this medium to call on the leadership of the APC to immediately recall, rehabilitate and compensate these Nigerians whose rights have been violently violated by the government of Lagos State.
“The PDP will continue to uphold the rights and aspirations of Nigerians irrespective of ethnic, religious, social and economic background as we work to achieve one strong, progressive and united Nigeria.
“This is evident in the unprecedented, unwarranted, and senseless divisive action the APC led government of Lagos State has taken by vigorously pursuing actions that can set the country on fire.
“It is baffling that a party that is purportedly run by individuals who call themselves progressives can become so desperate to the extent of fanning the embers of ethnicity just to gain cheap popularity amongst its unsuspecting followers.
“The new party whose promoters have been very active in media campaign to gain the support of Nigerians chose to launch out with a most barbaric, anti democratic and despotic criminal discrimination against fellow Nigerians.
“The APC in Lagos State used the celebration of its registration to confront the rights of Nigerians to live in Nigeria by forcefully removing bona fide Nigerians of Igbo extraction from Lagos and dumping them in the midnight at the bank of River Niger. This unconscionable able act was termed deportation”!
“This act of the APC led government of Lagos state is a frontal attack on the rights of these Nigerians and the Nigerian 1999 constitution which guarantees the right of every Nigerian citizen to live within any part of the country without molestation or discrimination.
“It is to be noted that this act of the APC-led government in Lagos violates all the laws of human rights and dignity of man.
“The APC is taking Nigeria to the cave age by fanning the ugly embers of ethnicity and nepotism. It is instructive to remind the APC and its promoters that Lagos state natives live in all part of Nigeria and it is unimaginable what would happen if states within Nigeria start deporting people that are not natives of the states.
“The role of Ndigbo in the life and economy of Lagos State can never be over emphasised. It is a direct affront on the unity of Nigeria for the APC led government of Lagos state to start treating fellow Nigerians as illegal immigrants, who can be yanked off, dislocated from their families forced into dingy buses at gun point in the middle of the night and shipped to river banks-Nazi style without any provocation.”
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