■ APC not on ground in Bayelsa –Dickson
FROM TAIWO AMODU, ABUJA
Acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus yesterday alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services ( DSS) invaded the Akwa-Ibom State Government House in Uyo.
Addressing newsmen while playing host to the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, who came to the party’s national secretariat to return his nomination form, the acting chairman of the erstwhile ruling party claimed the motive of the DSS officers was to kindap the Akwa-Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel.
Secondus, who said the actions of the new Director-General of the DSS, Lawan Daura was reminiscent of the defunct Nigeria Security Organisation, (NSO) under Mohammed Lawan Rafindadi, further alerted the international community that the main opposition party would no longer tolerate intimidation and harassment of governors in states under its control.
Secondus said: “Let me alert this nation that a few hours ago, there was a civilian coup d’état in Akwa-Ibom State where the Department of State Security headed by Lawan Daura invaded the Government House of Akwa-Ibom, ransacked the entire Government House, looking for the governor (Udom Emmanuel) to kidnap.
“Again, we want to alert this nation that this is part of the strategy of APC and its Federal Government to forcefully take Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Abia and Taraba states by force because they are not satisfied with the control of the Federal Government.
“They still want to take over by force all the states controlled by PDP. This nation belongs to all, to both PDP and APC a situation where consistently, the DSS has assaulted states controlled by PDP, the international community should be aware of what is going on. Is this democracy? Is this how PDP ruled in 16 years? Enough is enough!
“We want to advise and point out to the President that we will not tolerate this anti-democratic arrangement by APC and DSS because it will be a reincarnation of Rafindadi days when he was in charge of NSO. This is exactly the format. Daura is a reincarnation of Rafindadi and Nigerians are not ready for what happened 30 years ago.
“This is a clear warning that they should desist from taking laws into their hands.”
Earlier in his remarks, Governor Dickson, who is seeking the PDP ticket ahead of the December governorship election in Bayelsa State, had said the All Progressives Congress, ( APC) does not exist in his state. He also dismissed the party as a mere coalition of governorship aspirants.
“I keep telling them even when one or two people left, it may make news but it doesn’t have the capacity to affect our predominance. Those who make PDP win elections are still with us.
“Any of you who is free, come to Bayelsa and you will see a demonstration of the support for PDP. No other party has the strength and capacity that PDP has. Those who knew PDP ticket wouldn’t be available for them to grab are the ones going to the other party, believing that federal might may see them through.
“No candidate in APC poses a threat to PDP. They are opportunists, a collection of governorship aspirants, trying to take advantage of a situation. They have no base in any ward or local government. If you are talking of a party that has structures on ground, it is PDP.”
Meanwhile, Ekiti State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has condemned the invasion, and called for the immediate sack of the Director General of the agency, Alhaji Lawal Daura.
Addressing a press conference in Ado-Ekiti on behalf of the governor today, Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka described the invasion as part of the sinister plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to circumvent the will of the people of the South-South and South-East states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), using the DSS.