Progressive governors, PDM, Atiku slam police

The Group of Seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and the Baraje faction of the ruling party yesterday declared that their activities cannot be stopped in spite of the harassment they are suffering.

On Sunday night, their meeting proposed for the Sokoto State Governor's Lodge was stopped by the police.

But in a communiqué released yesterday, they claimed to have held the meeting at an undisclosed location, using the Sokoto Governor's Lodge as a decoy.

According to the resolutions of the meeting released by the Baraje PDP's Publicity Secretary Chukwuemeka Eze, those in attendance were: Governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); former governors Adamu Aliero (Kebbi State); Bukola Saraki (Kwara State); Danjuma Goje (Gombe State); and Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa State).

Others included the factional National Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; Deputy Chairman Sam Sam Jaja; National Secretary Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and Vice-Chairman, North-West, Ibrahim Kazuare, among others.

The statement added that the excuse by Governors Abdufatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger) to be absent from the meeting was tabled and accepted.

The resolutions included: commendation for the Kawu Baraje-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party for exhibiting quality and purposeful leadership as opposed to "the draconian style of leadership being exhibited by the Bamanga Tukur faction of the party."

The enlargement of the Mobilisation/Contact Committee to include more governors and ex-governors.

To explore other options available to the party "should the dialogue with President Jonathan fail to yield any positive result for its future political activity as the vision and mission of the party cannot be derailed by any force or group of people no matter the ploys and plots."

The Committee is expected "to liaise with the five other PDP governors and other leaders that have indicated interest to join the group and to submit their report during the next meeting of the caucus that will hold in a week's time to ascertain how these distinguished new members would be received by the party."

The meeting also set up a Fund/Finance Committee mandated to source for extra funds to run the party.

"The meeting reviewed all our Court cases so far and counselled the legal team to ensure that our water-tight cases are professionally handled and commended the team for filling the notice of appeal and also seeking an injunction and a stay of execution of Justice Chukwu's ruling against us some days ago before the Federal High Court, Abuja."

The meeting expressed regret that its members have been unfairly treated and humiliated by the Tukur-led PDP.

It called for the lifting of the ban on Rivers State Governor Rotime Amaechi and his recognition as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum by the President.

It fixed the group's next meeting for next week.

Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday described as an attack on the constitution, the police stoppage of the Group of seven (G7) Peoples Democratic Party governors and the Baraje faction meeting in Abuja on Sunday.

The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also criticised the action.

In separate statements yesterday, they warned against a return to harassment of citizens by the police in a democratic set up.

The progressive governors said: "In what is clearly an attack on Nigerians' Constitutionally guaranteed rights of association and freedom of movement, the Federal Government yesterday, 27th October 2013, illegally used the coercive arm of the state – the Nigeria police to storm and forcibly dislodge seven governors as well as other citizens from the Sokoto Governor's Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.

"From a government that purports to obey the rule of law, the disruption of a peaceful meeting by the police is not only crude, condemnable and unwarranted, but is a reflection of government's growing intolerance and an affront on the democratic rights of Nigerians.

"Particularly disturbing and worthy of note is that if seven governors, all of whom are constitutionally-guaranteed immunity from prosecution can be manhandled in such a brutal manner, what would be the fate of ordinary citizens who seek to exercise their rights to freedom association?

"It is evident that the federal government is unlawfully using the police for its illegal and nefarious activities for the purpose of intimidation aimed at imposing the BamangaTukur-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on other party members and Nigerians.

"The Progressive Governors Forum finds it unacceptable that Police have been reduced to partisan agents and attack dogs that only serve a part of a political party when the levels of insecurity in the country are so high. It is reckless to take partisan contest to levels of warfare as the federal government has done because this would only weaken the capacity of security operatives in responding to real security challenges. "

The PDM also rose in defence of the embattled G-7 governors.

In a statement by its national chairman Mallam Bashir Ibrahim, the PDM accused President Goodluck Jonathan of reckless use of state machinery against members of the opposition.

Mallam Ibrahim's statement, signed by spokesman of the PDM, Alaba Yusuf, described the President's action as "nothing but political witch-hunting and shameless display of intolerance".

The reaction is coming on the heels of defiance by members of the Baraje faction to continue to win more members to the faction, regardless of the threat to their personal safety. A scheduled meeting of the G-7 governors and members of the faction was aborted Sunday night by armed policemen.

The PDM said "President Jonathan should spend his energy fighting the rot inside his party and government. Let him deploy his uncommon zeal in dealing with the opposition to fighting the monumental level of corruption in which his favourite ministers are involved.

"Let him cleanse the ministries of Petroleum, Aviation, Niger Delta and Defense of corruption and stop industrial-scale oil theft in the creeks. Then we will know he is serious about solving Nigeria's problems. Jonathan should stop chasing shadows and overheating the polity.

"It is no longer news the grave intimidation and harassment being dished out to the G-7. The precarious political situation in Rivers and Adamawa States where constituted political structures are daily being undermined or completely usurped is also unacceptable.

"We call on President Jonathan to stop this fascism.

Atiku criticised the police and the Federal Government for breaching constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens who share contrary political views by assaulting their rights to freedom of association and assembly.

According to him, the democratic liberties of citizens are more important than individual political ambitions.

He deplored the incessant harassment and humiliation of political opponents insisting that it is indefensible.

The former Vice President maintained that freedom of association and assembly are constitutional guarantees, which should not be violated at will by the any government.

The Turaki Adamawa argued that these constitutional guarantees are superior to party politics.

"I am alarmed at the level of impunity with which the Police are frequently breaching the rights of Nigerian citizens to association," the former Vice President noted.