The acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Uche Secondus, has described the recent invasion Akwa Ibom State Government House in Uyo by men of the Department of State Security (DSS) as a political coup against the people and government.
He was addressing a mammoth crowd of PDP faithful who thronged the Ibom International Airport to receive him and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party Tuesday, September 15, 2015.
Secondus, who said the NWC was in the state on a solidarity visit, added that “the invasion of the Government House by the DSS is unlawful and unacceptable. For sometime now, the DSS has been acting as though it is an arm of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The DSS has been hounding the opposition.”
Secondus alleged that the invasion was one of APC’s actions to intimidate the people of the state and press on the evil plan to take over PDP controlled states by force.
“This action of the DSS was barbaric and the entire state, country and international community must unite in condemning it,” he stressed.
Affirming that Director General of DSS was a member of the Intelligence Committee of APC, Secondus maintained that he was using the machinery of the security agency to coerce the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and the judiciary to act against the popular will of the people given at the elections in the PDP-controlled states.
“We are aware of the maneuvering of the Security architecture of the State controlled by PDP. We are aware of all kinds of transfers in DSS to achieve the plan of taking over by force PDP controlled states. Security men have gone to tribunal to testify for APC. But we are not worried about all that because at the end the truth will prevail. I can assure you that the plans by APC to takeover by force Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Delta States will fail,” Secondus assured.
The acting Chairman also demanded that for the provocative action of the DSS, President Muhammadu Buhari should set up a judicial panel of unbiased eminent persons and lawyers to look at what happened so that those behind it will face the full weight of the law.
He regretted that two weeks after the dastardly act, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has not spoken against it.
“It is sad that everything in Nigeria is partisan. Otherwise the NGF should have condemned the action; no matter the parties governors belong to. We expect that they should condemn the invasion of the Akwa Ibom Government House by DSS,” he maintained.
Secondus, who said the PDP offered Nigerians freedom of speech and association by signing the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, called on Nigerians not to allow the push for a one party state by the APC.
He insisted that a multi-party democracy would lead to sustainable development in all sectors of the nation.
The PDP chairman lamented that APC had perfected plans to rig elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States coming up soon through INEC led by Amina Zakari, stressing that “The tenure of Zakari has expired and she can’t manage any election. She should therefore be removed.”
In his remarks, the state Governor, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, stated that Akwa Ibom was totally for PDP and the people fully support the government.
He thanked the NWC for the visit, saying it had further strengthened the leadership of the state, party and the people.
The governor assured the NWC of the commitment of his administration to provide jobs for the people and improve their lives in all areas.
“Akwa Ibom is peaceful. Here we don’t discriminate against one another along partisan or ethnic lines, we accommodate everyone. The free and compulsory education, free health for pregnant women, children under five and the aged is enjoyed even by non-indigenes who are very many.”
