₦airaland Forum

Democracy and its survival in Nigeria today is squarely a shadow of itself. The police are being used as political tool to commit atrocities .

OPEN LETTER TO NIGERIANS ON THE WITHDRAWAL OF MY SECURITY.


It has become imperative for me to use this medium to bring to the attention of the general public, as well as members of the international community that on Wednesday 6th June, 2018, the Federal Government ordered the withdrawal of my police security aides. Even though no reason has been given for this sudden action by the police authorities, I believe that it is connected with my fight to preserve the nation's democracy by speaking out against anti-democratic tendencies and clamouring for adherence to the rule of law under the present administration.


I also have it on good authority that a directive has been given for my immediate arrest and detention. It has also come to my knowledge that a frontline Minister in the present administration is going round media houses and online media and threatening them to either stop publishing and airing my views on national issues or face sanctions from the government. 


Recall that in recent weeks, I have caused four open letters to be published in major national newspapers. In one of the letters, I passionately pleaded with Mr. President to stop security agencies from harassing and intimidating Nigerians especially those perceived as enemies of the administration. I also called on relevant security and anti-graft agencies, to follow due process in the ongoing fight against corruption in the country.


I had equally called on the leaders of the international community, like the President of the United States, Donald Trump, Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres and the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, to prevail on the present administration to respect the sanctity of human lives, uphold the fundamental human rights of Nigerians, stop the intimidation and harassment of innocent citizens; and to make sure that the ongoing fight against corruption is conducted according to the principles of fairness, equity and justice. I had decried a situation where personalities mainly from the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) arm of our party, the All Progressives Congress, are being selectively targeted for persecution in the guise of fighting corruption.


I dare say that the withdrawal of my police security aides and from other deserving Nigerians has become the modus operandi of this government in silencing the opposition. Recently, security aides of the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara were equally reduced. Those attached to Senators and House of Representatives members considered to be critical of the policies and programmes of the present administration are equally being recalled.



I also want to state that impunity in the country is moving from bad to worse as evidenced by the withdrawal of my security and my being marked for arrest and prosecution, simply because I have not ceased to speak up against acts of injustice, intimidation and harassment of Nigerians, since the inception of this government.


This plot against me shows that the Nigeria Police which is supposed to protect all Nigerians has become personalized and is being used to protect only those singing the praises of the present administration. This effectively shows that the last administration was more democratic and tolerant than the present one because despite my incessant criticism of the Jonathan's administration, he never ordered the withdrawal my police aides, as well as those of all opposition members now in government who were opposed to Jonathan and his government as at that time. This unwarranted action by the Government against me, I must say, is meant to expose me to grave danger and personal harm with the aim to permanently shut me up. 


Nigerians had expected leaders in this administration to learn to tolerate criticism from the opposition as a common feature in any democratic setting. Take South Africa, for example, where a member of parliament and leader of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, Julius Malema, often criticizes the President of South Africa without his security aides being withdrawn or him breing framed-up for arrest and prosecution.


I want to make it categorically clear however, that no amount of intimidation, harassment and arrest will make me to close my eyes and mouth in the face of ongoing human rights violations and actions capable of truncating the nation's democracy, being perpetrated by the present administration. I solemnly reiterate my resolve to pay the supreme sacrifice if that is what is required to ensure freedom, respect for human dignity and good governance in Nigeria. However, I want to use this opportunity to inform Nigerians that the present administration should be held responsible should any harm befall me.


Finally, I urge Nigerians to rise up in defense of democracy. I also urge the National Assembly not to relent in providing leadership to ensure the sustenance of our democracy. I equally call on Civil Society Organizations and labour unions not to gloss over glaring threats against the nation's democracy. The time to speak up is now. 



Comrade Timi  Frank 

Deputy National Publicity Secretary  

All Progressives Congress  

timifrank40@gmail.com 

07033555555

NASS Resolution, Buhari should  Quit now- Secondus

......need no further evidence of a failed government.

The National Chairman of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to quit the stage now that it's evident that he cannot hold the government and the country together.

Reacting to the Tuesday's resolutions of the National Assembly threatening to invoke their constitutional powers on the President if a number of constitutional infringements are not quickly addressed and stemmed, Prince Secondus said that there is no further confirmation to the fact that the President is presiding over a collapsed administration.

In a statement from his media office signed by media Adviser Îke Abonyi, the PDP National leader said that the position of the parliament reflects clearly that of a cross section of Nigerians and should be respected.

Prince Secondus contended that even though the position of the legislators is delayed in coming given the damage already done to democracy and the country by the purposeless administration, the lawmakers still deserve some commendations for standing up for democracy and rule of law.

"Evidence are abound globally that by parliamentary powers the resolution of the National Assembly means that the people have lost confidence in the President and he should quit.

"We in the opposition have been saying it interminably that this government has no direction and does not mean well for the country.

According to Prince Secondus, all lovers of democracy should queue behind the National Assembly at this critical time in our political challenge and put pressure on the President to leave the stage now and save our democracy and the country.

He said that this government has exhibited all traits of a failed administration and did not need to wait for the parliament to give it a quit notice.

"History is a witness that when a government is bereft of ideas and still  wants to cling on to power, it resorts to use of brute force, intimidation and harassment of opponents, a quality we have seen very blatantly in this regime.

The PDP National Chairman asserted that a supposed civilian government that does not want institutions of democracy to strive should be called its exact name dictatorship.

He said that the PDP is privy to various clandestine moves including raising a special killer squad to further cow or even eliminate opposition leaders including the National Chairman to pave way for the APC agenda of hoisting a one party system on the country.

“The legislature and the Judiciary are the two main arms of any democratic government all over the World, but this administration has deliberately made the operations of the two very tasking in the last three years.

“How do you explain the assault on the nation's Senate by an ostensibly Executive backed hoodlums who not only disrupted proceedings but abducted the mace the symbol of parliamentary authority, the framing up of the Senate President and some of his vocal colleagues in an armed robbery and other related criminal cases or the forceful infiltration of homes of Justices and Judges at the wee hours of the night with arms by operatives of a supposedly democratic administration.

Finally, the PDP boss urged the National Assembly to quickly invoke their powers on the President and avert further bruises to the nation's democratic advancement.

Signed

Ike Abonyi

SA Media to the National Chairman (08033018473)

ikeabonyi2001@gmail.com.

......calls them administration of frame up


The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has sent a strong statement to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, that there will be no general election in 2019 if July 14 gubernatorial election in Ekiti state is rigged.


Prince Secondus said while inaugurating a high powered Ekiti state gubernatorial campaign council at the party National Headquarters in Abuja on Monday that the performance of PDP in Ekiti state makes the contest a smooth run.


He said that the party is aware that despite the negligible presence of APC in Ekiti, the party is determined to connive with the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to manipulate and thwart the will of the people.


In the address titled "Nigeria democracy ambushed, dark days are here with us” Secondus said "the caliber of names drawn up as members of this council shows in an unmistaken terms the importance the party attaches to this exercise"

"Ekiti state means so much to our party because of the strategic position it occupies in that geopolitical region and the fact that it's a test run election ahead of Osun state governorship election in September and the general elections in less than one year from now.


He said that APC is planning in their own words to capture Ekiti at all cost but noted that "Part of the costs has started manifesting with the shooting carried out at their own rally on Thursday last week which happened to be a continuation of the violence they launched on themselves and the state since their primaries last month"



Prince Secondus said that the attitude of APC now is that of "a drowning man desperate to survive and whose posture is if I cannot make it let me go down with others'


The PDP boss called on the international community and all lovers of democracy to show more than passing interest in what is going on in Nigeria today and watch as our democracy is being violated and ambushed.

"In this country now, the opposition and anybody holding dissenting views from that of the small clique of persons hanging on to power today have been marked either to be framed up for criminal offenses or for corruption.


"A sitting Governor in Rivers state, Nyesom Wike had cried out recently that there is attempt to assassinate him but his case was treated with levity only for Nigerians to witness a high profiled failed assassination been attempt in Ekiti last week.


He said that PDP is also privy to the secret grand plan of the APC government to raise a special killer squad to kill opponents and disperse rallies especially in the area where they expect PDP rallies to intimidate their own.

According to him, "the motive of all these deliberate Police state being established by the ruling party is obvious; to distract and disorganize the opponent to enable them hold on to power.


"Never, not even in the draconian days of the military rule was number three citizen of the country and an incumbent governor framed up for armed robbery.


"This government has become a frame up administration. Senator Rabiu Kwakwaso's aide was locked for weeks where they were searching for things to frame him up; Senators Dino Melaye and Shehu Sani have all been framed up for being vocal against unjust system being perpetuated by this administration government. The deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has had his guest house ransacked where they were looking for something to frame him up.


Despite their immunities a guest house in Akwa Ibom was once ransacked by operatives in search of frame up documents. Ditto Governor Wike has had to seek court protection to halt search in his house. Governor Fayose has just alerted the nation of plans to frame him up in the APC rally shooting. Nigerians should watch and be ready for the sacrifice to save not just our democracy but the country. What is however certain is that victory is ours in the end because Nigeria cannot afford this APC journey any longer.



Signed

Ike Abonyi

SA Media to the National Chairman

Party with action.....

All these is geared towards spoiling a good man's name, are you guys not tired?

The nation must be liberated from the hands of those oppressing us, lets change the change, PDP all the way #PDPsouthwestmegarally

Looking at the situation in the country, we need the only party that understands the people, PDP...... More grace