BEVERLY HILLS, September 08, (THEWILL) – The Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, has expressed deep worry over the allegation of arbitrary arrests and intimidation of the members and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State by security agencies ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The PDP in Edo State had accused the police of unwarranted arrests and harassment of its members and supporters in the run up to the September 10 election.
Reacting in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, on Wednesday, Ekweremadu called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently intervene in the matter and ensure a free, fair and credible electoral process.
The statement reads, “I am deeply distressed by the development not just because I am a member of the PDP but, more importantly, because the PDP had taken our electoral process beyond where it is being dragged back to today.
“The greatest gift of democracy, which makes the other blessings of democracy feasible, is the inalienable right of the people to elect their leaders in a free, fair and credible electoral process that must be devoid of all forms of intimidation.
“As a beneficiary of the electoral reforms and policy of non-interference in the electoral process exemplified by the immediate past PDP administration led by former President Goodluck Jonathan, I expect the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government to immediately caution the security agencies. If the APC-led FG cannot improve on the electoral process, I expect it to maintain the standard set by the PDP.”
Ekweremadu, as the number five citizen, is the highest ranking PDP member in the present scheme of things in Nigeria.
