PDP senators protest alleged DSS’ harassment over election
From Adetutu Folasade-Koyi, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the Senate, yesterday asked
President Muhammadu Buhari to caution operatives of the Directorate of
State Services ( DSS) from an alleged harassment of officials of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers, Akwa – Ibom
and Abia states.
Minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio led other members of the caucus
to a press conference yesterday where it was alleged that the DSS was
being selective in the discharge of their duties.
The Senators noted that the alleged meddling of the DSS in the election
petition cases in some states could spell doom for the democracy.
Akpabio stated that a situation where INEC officials in the three states
were being arrested, questioned and or detained on politically
motivated corruption allegations was “worrisome and ciuld spell doom for
the country’s democracy unless the trend was reversed…
The former Akwa Ibom State governor also added that no democracy could
survive without a viable opposition in any part of the world.
“INEC is supposed to be an independent commission and its officials
ought to be shielded from partisanship. It is on this ground that we
condemn in particular what is happening in Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Abia
states, where election umpires are daily arrested, their families and
associates hounded and judicial officers involved in election tribunals
intimidated and questioned using trumped up petitions bordering on
corruption.”
Present at the session with newsmen were Deputy Senate President Ike
Ekweremadu, Senators George Thompson Sekibo, Philip Tanimu Aduda, among
others.
However, in a swift reaction, Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee on Media,
Senator Dino Melaye, dismissed interference allegations from the PDP
caucus.
He said the opposition senators were just crying foul with no substance
in their allegations and noted that it was shocking for the PDP to start
complaining that the DSS was against its members.
On the issue of selective crusade against corruption, the politician
said that Buhari was being judicious in his fight against the evil
practice and the culprits in the game.
Melaye noted that the wife of the President of the Senate had been
interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,
pointing out that the husband is a member of the APC.
“It is shocking that this is coming from the PDP. We were in a
government where the DSS was virtually a part of the PDP. Nigerians
suffered serious interference from the DSS when PDP was in government.
The President is only trying to do what is right, and I think that
people are just crying foul…”