PDP senators protest alleged DSS’ harassment over election

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By Our Reporter on August 7, 2015 COVER, Politics

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…”