The All Progressives Congress (APC) Sokoto State chapter yesterday
warned the state governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) against further harassment of its members and
supporters.
The APC, which described as untoward act of aggression, repression
and intimidation by the governor and his party, accused them of
sponsoring thugs to commit the dastardly act.
Similarly, the opposition APC said the PDP administration in the
state owed Sokoto people explanations as to the alleged physical assault
on civil servants and their replacements by touts.
“Anything in the contrary will only go to further confirm that the
government is fully behind these dastardly actions and aiding and
abetting them,” a statement by the Sokoto APC chairman, Sadik Isah
Achida, stated.
Achida further said, “Any silence would also confirm our apprehension
and due concerns thus APC would be compelled to enforce the rights of
its supporters.
“We will not fold our arms and allow such flagrant and dastardly
attacks, acts of aggression and intimidation. We will not, even for a
second, hesitate in allowing our supporters to use any available means
to lawfully defend themselves and enforce their fundamental human
rights.
“All Nigerians have equal rights and freedom of movement, right to
live, right to practice one’s religion, meaningful socio- economic
transactions, right to belong to any political party and array of other
enforceable rights among others enjoyable by all Nigerians,” Achida
said.
Further, he pointed out that despite the PDP peace credentials that
filled the airwaves, hoodlums keep parading themselves, caning and
flogging people suspected and perceived to be APC supporters, claiming
they were cleansing them for integration into the society.
“It is apt and desirable for the PDP to either confirm its complicity
in these atrocities or deny as well bring the obnoxious activities to a
halt and take necessary steps to apprehend the perpetrators and charge
them to court.
“We are strongly calling on the state government and PDP to urgently
call the perpetrators of these heinous attacks to order and doing
otherwise is an imminent invitation to anarchy, which would not do
anybody any good. A stitch in time saves nine.”
