The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, has raised the alarm over the harassment of governors of the party in Benin, Edo State by the police.
He said information available to the party indicated that the party’s governors were being harassed at the West End Hotel, Benin City where they are currently staying.
Secondus said this at an emergency press briefing, in Abuja, on Friday.
He said, “We have information that governors of the APC, including the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma and the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege are staying at the house of the former APC National Chairman, Adams Oshimohole.
“But our own governors who are staying at the West End Hotel in Benin City are being harassed by policemen.
“The Policemen have surrounded the hotel and their lives are in danger. We call on IGP to ask the police to leave the place because their lives are in danger.
“If APC governors are in Benin, the PDP governors should be in Benin. Our governors would remain in Benin, no one can intimidate us.
“We are bringing this to the attention of the international community. Elections must be free elections must be allowed to hold.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement sent to THE WITNESS on Friday, said:
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) protests the clampdown on its governors by security agents in Benin City, Edo state capital, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
“The national leadership of the party, in a press conference addressed by the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, alerted the nation and the international community of the security siege on PDP governors in their lodging in Benin City.
“The party expressed shock that security agents were detailed to surround the lodging of our governors to harass and intimidate them, whereas APC governors, including the governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje, his Imo state counterpart, Hope Uzodimma as well as the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, are left free in the comfort of the residence of the sacked national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole in GRA, Benin City.
“Our party considers this siege as provocative and completely unacceptable as there cannot be two sets of laws for the citizens of our nation. In as much as the APC governors are given the liberty to stay in Benin City, our governors must not be harassed or stampeded to leave the state.
“At any rate, we are confident that our governors will not allow themselves to be stampeded.
“The PDP calls on all stakeholders in the Edo governorship election, particularly the security agencies, to work towards a peaceful, credible, transparent, free and fair election on Saturday.