APC, FG out to clampdown on opposition – PDP

…Says Secondus is being threatened

ABUJA- The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the federal government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have began what it called a total clampdown on the entire opposition and dissenting voices across the land.

The party made the allegation Saturday at a press conference addressed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.

Reading from the text of the press conference, the publicity scribe said the alleged move is intended to quieten the opposition ahead of the 2019 general elections, noting that it has become imperative to draw the attention of all Nigerians to the dangers lurking in the horizon and their implications on the polity.

“The PDP alerts all Nigerians that the APC and its federal government have commenced a vicious and direct clampdown of major opposition leaders, perceived political opponents and individuals with interests and views that are divergent to those of their Presidential aspirant, perhaps, candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

“The clampdown is tailored to silence opposition as well as those who refused to join or support the APC in their unlawful design to emasculate other political parties, undermine our laws and electoral system, foist a one-party state and perpetuate their incompetent, dysfunctional and anti-people rule on our nation.

“It is instructive to inform that our leaders, particularly, our national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, have been receiving threats since the PDP filed a petition to the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations, detailing documented threats to democracy by the APC and its federal government, abuse of human rights, mass killings, persecution of opposition and unabated constitutional violations,” the text read in part.

Apart from opposition figures, the party said it has uncovered plots by incumbent administration to rope in “members of the civil society, opinion leaders, journalists and bloggers, who refuse to succumb to intimidation and that such persons have already been listed and currently being trailed by agents of the state,” adding that some of its ex- members, nPDP, are not spared either.

The party also said “apart from allegations of corruption, there are plots to clamp down and detain opposition leaders for charges bordering on treason and we are aware that some compromised judicial officers have been enlisted to give convictions and jail members of opposition as well as dissenting voices, on flimsy grounds.”