‘Stop harassing us,’ Party governors tell DSS

monjola sotubo

August 21, 2015 11:39 AM

The party also warned the DSS against interference in electoral matters and attempts to stifle the country’s opposition.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) to stop disturbing its members.

The comments were made by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko.

Mimiko said:

“The forum condemns in very strong terms the alleged worrisome meddlesomeness of the Department of State Services in Election Tribunal matters especially in Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Abia states.”

“It is against the spirit, ethos, values and fundamental tenets of democratic norms and tradition; more so with the existence of the Electoral Act and the constitution.”

“The forum is worried, alarmed and shocked by this development. A situation where officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission in these three states, (all PDP states) are daily being arrested, detained and questioned on election-related offences, even when the cases are ongoing at the tribunals, spells doom and poses imminent danger to our fledgling democracy.”

“We insist that the trend be reversed. No democracy survives without a viable opposition in any part of the world.”

The PDP ruled Nigeria for 16 years before being ousted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections.

monjola sotubo