16th November, 2021
By Emmanuel Oloniruha
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has cried out over what it described as ongoing plans by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in Zamfara to cow its chapter in the state into submission through series of destabilisation plots.
The party stated this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan on Monday, in Abuja.
The PDP spokesperson alleged that APC in Zamafara is using state apparatus against the PDP and stifle its constitutionally guaranteed rights in the state.
He alleged that since Gov. Bello Matawalle left PDP to the APC, compromised agencies of the state were being used to victimise PDP members and other 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.
“Our party secured a property in Gusau, the Zamfara state capital as our state secretariat. However, soon after moving into the property, the landlord terminated our contract,” he said.
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.
“We have been made aware that the plot is to obliterate the PDP and foist an oppressive one-party system on the state,” Ologbondiyan said.
He added that the APC was being threatened by the soaring popularity of the PDP in Zamfara state for which all ways were being sought to frustrate the PDP ahead of 2023 elections.
He, however, said that the PDP could not be cowed or stopped, as it was already enjoying the support and solidarity of the majority of the people of Zamfara.
He said that the party had already instructed its legal team to immediately take up the matter in the regard.
He called on pro-democracy and human right organisations as well as other stakeholders in electoral process to rise in condemnation of the act reprehensible action by the APC in Zamfara state.(NAN)