The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday, accused Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, of plotting to derail the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.
The main opposition party also alleged that its head of security in Dekina Local Government, Edeh Abutu, was reportedly abducted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on trumped-up charges and taken to an unknown destination “where they are believed to be under torture.”
Speaking during a press conference at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja on Sunday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of “innocent Nigerians” including Abutu.
He said: “Nigerians will recall that last Thursday, October 31, 2019, the PDP alerted of the heinous plots by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and outgoing Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state to clampdown on key leaders in the state as well as unleash violence on the people, for their decision not to vote Yahaya Bello back to office.
“We have called you today to notify Nigerians that the APC has commenced the clampdown and punishment of innocent citizens of Kogi state, having realized that the people are not ready to change their resolve to kick out the incompetent, corrupt and disdainful Bello administration.
“The APC, out of desperation, has started framing and arresting innocent Nigerians, harassing and victimising women and youths, blocking peoples’ means of livelihood and issuing threats on the citizenry, all in the failed bid to inject crisis, derail the electoral process and manipulate the outcome of the polls.
“Only yesterday, the APC, using, some hoodlums and compromised security agents, led by Bello’s illegitimate deputy governor, Edward Onoja, arrested the PDP head of security in Dekina Local Government, Mr Edeh Abutu, over trumped-up charges of possession of firearms.
“It is instructive to state that Abutu had been threatened with arrest and frame-up, several times, by the APC; attacked and harassed on numerous occasions before he was finally framed and abducted by the APC after he pulled a gargantuan crowd for our governorship campaign rally in Dekina.
“The PDP has been made aware of how APC thugs invaded his area of residence, traumatised and harassed citizens with gunshots and abducted Mr Abutu to an unknown destination, after which the illegal deputy governor turned himself into the spokesman of the police by rushing to falsely claim that he (Abutu) made some confessional statement of being in possession of firearms.
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