Clampdown on our members, invitation to anarchy – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday described the clampdown on its members in various parts of the country by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government ahead of the general election as an invitation to anarchy.

The party noted the arrest and detention of its Director of Media Committee of the Kaduna State Governorship Campaign Organisation, Mr. Ben Bako, by the Department of State Services (DSS) since the weekend. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, at a press conference yesterday, alleged that two former governors of the state, Senator Ahmed Markarfi and Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero as well as the state chapter Chairman of the party, Chief Felix Hyat and his predecessor, Alhaji Yahaya Yaro Makama, had also been listed for arrest.

“We are aware that Mr. Ben Bako’s arrest is prelude to the planned clampdown of our campaign officials by the Buhari presidency and the APC, whose aim is to instill fear in the polity, incite crisis and derail the electoral process, having realised that they have lost in this election ahead of the polls,” Ologbondiyan stated. He also alleged of plots by the APC and the presidency to track down and detain PDP critical stakeholders in other parts of the country, so as to put them out of circulation before and during the general election. According to him, the continued detention of Ben Bako is setting the stage for a vehement resistance by the people, which he said, was capable of triggering crisis and disrupting the fragile peace in the state. He demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Bako by the DSS without hurt or further harassment, warning that his arrest was capable of derailing our democratic order.