Niger APC accuses PDP of harassment

AHEAD of the August 30 Niger-East Senatorial by-election , the All Progressives Congress in Niger State has raised the alarm that the Peoples Democratic Party is sponsoring thugs to attack its members and using security agents to harass the party officials.

The APC publicity secretary in the state, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, said this on Sunday at a press conference, alleging that thugs sponsored by the PDP attacked the APC legal adviser on Saturday after an ambush in the Paikoro area of the state.

“After our party primaries on Thursday, our delegates from Rafi local government were stopped at Pandogeri and they asked all of them to be shouting PDP while they were being beaten by the thugs hired by PDP.

“We have just conducted primaries and not gone for the main bye-election and we are witnessing this type of development. This is the desperation of the ruling party to clinch the senatorial seat by hook or crook”, he said.

However, in a swift reaction, the state deputy chairman of PDP, Tanko Beji, described the APC’s claims as unfounded and that the party should have turned the criminals that attacked its members to the police for proper investigation.

Beji said, “Nobody is above the law and if the legal adviser is attacked he should as a law officer report to the police and lead police to arrest the criminals instead of blaming the PDP. I think APC is confused and it is chasing shadows instead of settling down to serious campaign for the election.”

The PDP deputy chairman explained that security agencies in the state had been inviting all party leadership, including those of the PDP, towards ensuring that there was no breakdown of law during the poll.

“The state chairman of PDP, I and the secretary were invited yesterday and we went to the SSS and police headquarters. Maybe we should say it is the APC that instigated our invitation,” he said.

Vatsa had accused PDP of planning to rob APC of votes, adding that, “days before the election the ruling party has started harassing and intimidating us. We are no longer safe in Niger State and we are crying out for people to know the situation.”

“We will fight against rigging by PDP in all the wards, the polling units and protect our votes,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission has confirmed the nomination of David Umaru as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress   for the August 30 by-election for Niger East senatorial district.