The governor of Akwa Ibom state, Udom Emmanuel, has condemned the siege on the Ekiti state Government House by the police.
Dozens of police officers barricaded the venue of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally, close to the Ekiti Government House on Wednesday morning.
Videos of the incident showed the police using tear gas to disperse the PDP supporters, including the Ekiti governor, Ayodele Fayose, who was also affected by the police action.
“This cannot happen in any civilised society where a governor with full immunity can be so abused publicly,” Governor Emmanuel told journalists in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, Wednesday night, according to a statement issued by the Government House, Uyo.
“It is a shame for the whole country, it is a shame to all of us.”
Mr Emmanuel is the national coordinator of the PDP’s team for the Ekiti governorship election which holds Saturday.
Although Governor Fayose is not a candidate in the election, his deputy, Olusola Eleka, is.
Mr Eleka is the candidate of the governing PDP in the state. His major opponent is Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was, until a few weeks ago, the minister of solid minerals.
The Akwa Ibom governor, Mr Emmanuel, appealed to law enforcement agencies to abide by the law.
He charged the electorate in Ekiti not to be intimidated by what was going on in the state.
The PDP is interested in winning the election in a free and fair contest, he said.
“It is not about Fayose or Ekiti State, it is about every one of us. If it can happen to Fayose, it means it can happen to anybody. We should not just look at Fayose today, we should not just look at Ekiti State, let us look at Nigeria.
“Elections will come and go, faces will come and go but Nigeria will remain. Let us not do something that will really bring down this country,” Mr Emmanuel said.
The police have however said that it prevented the PDP rally from taking place in order to forestall a clash between the party and the APC.
