The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alerted Nigerians over alleged design by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to heighten tension, trigger crisis, instigate violence and derail democratic practice and peaceful co-existence in Zamfara state.
The PDP further informed Nigerians in a statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP on Monday of renewed plots by the APC in Zamfara state to impose an official reign of terror on the state by trying to use state apparatus of power to obliterate the Party and stifle its constitutionally guaranteed rights in the state.
“Our party invites the public to note that since Governor Bello Matawalle left our fold to defect to the fizzling APC, his agents have been using compromised agencies of the state to tyrannize our PDP members and other well-meaning citizens of Zamfara state in a bid to cow them to submission.
“It is imperative to state that after the decamping of the governor, faithful members of our party immediately worked out strategies to reposition the party to effectively play the role of main opposition in the state.
“This included acquiring another befitting property to serve as PDP secretariat in the state as our former secretariat was converted to an APC office after the governor defected to their party.”
The spokesman noted that the party secured a property in Gusau, the Zamfara state capital as state secretariat, adding that soon after moving into the property, the landlord terminated their contract.
According to him, Upon investigation, it was discovered that an agency of Zamfara state government, had threatened the landlord with demolition of the property should he continue to accommodate the PDP.
“After a painstaking search, we acquired another property, along Sani Abacha Way, also in Gusau as our secretariat. But to our dismay the Zamfara Urban and Regional Planning Board, invaded the complex and placed a demolition notice on the property.
“With the second assault, it has become clear that the APC-led Zamfara state government is bent at ensuring that our party does not have a state secretariat in Zamfara state. We have been made aware that the plot is to obliterate the PDP and foist an oppressive one-party system on the state.
He said the PDP vehemently condemned the act of political brigandage and intolerance by the APC in Zamfara state, which is obviously aimed to destabilize the state for their selfish agenda.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP added that the APC was threatened by the soaring popularity of the PDP in Zamfara state for which they are seeking all ways to frustrate the PDP ahead of 2023 elections.
“The APC should however know that such shenanigans cannot cow or stop the PDP, which is already enjoying the support and solidarity of the majority of the people of Zamfara state.
“Our party cautions the APC, Zamfara state government and agents of Governor Matawalle to steer clear of our party. Already, we have instructed our legal team to immediately take up the matter in this regard.
Ologbondiyan pointed out that the PDP therefore called on pro-democracy and human right organizations as well as other stakeholders in our electoral process to rise in condemnation of this reprehensible action by the APC in Zamfara before the state is plunged into crisis.
