Arrest Secondus Now, Pro-Democracy Group Tasks Security Agencies

Following his recent outburst, civil society group, National Democratic Front has called on the Police and DSS to apprehend Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Uche Secondus for threatening national security.

Mr Secondus, in an ill-tempered rant at the party’s presidential campaign rally in Asaba, Delta state, Thursday, threatened “war” should his party lose the February 16 Presidential Election.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Secretary-General Bolaji Abdukadir opined that the PDP’s desperation for power has taken an awkward direction.

He, however, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies not to fall for such cheap threat.

“The threat by the PDP National Chairman implies that he expects that his party must be announced the winner of the election even when it loses. This is not justifiable under any circumstances in a country where there are laws. This is especially so when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured of conducting elections that are internationally acceptable while President Muhammadu Buhari has directed all the agencies with roles in the polls to abide by the rules.

“It will however seem that the PDP with its officials and chieftains are resolute on doing everything to undermine the elections, degrade their credibility even before they are conducted and reject results that they are already projected to lose. They see shadows behind every wall and have become pathetically hysterical to the point of handing the country over to foreigners.

“This hysteria on the part of the PDP and its mercenaries has put the entire country on edge with the constant sabre rattling over the election while creating the impression that it has to be a war situation of a do or die affair when the entire process is in reality about citizens exercising their right to decide who leads them. The PDP is aware of its low acceptability among Nigerian voters because of its record of wasted opportunities so it has now resorted to threats to force itself on the country.

“Constantly creating the impression that the general elections would be rigged in favour of the ruling party has therefore become the stock in trade of the PDP to the extent that not even its members take the party seriously anymore hence the ill-advised strategy of threatening war against the country. The implication of the threat from PDP is that it would unleash violence on the country when the results are announced and it loses fairly and squarely.

“Several groups with a few individuals and the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had raised the alarm in the past that the PDP has perfected plans to cause widespread violence as part of a plot to force an interim government on the country because it knows it will lose the election. Secondus’ threat is the clearest confirmation yet that this plot is real and is now in its implementation stage.

“NDF consequently calls on the DSS and the Nigerian Police Force to immediately arrest and question Secondus to explain what he meant by declaring war. It is our belief that this matter should not be treated with levity given the earlier revelation that the PDP has positioned terrorists, extremists, separatists and foreign mercenaries to unleash violence in different parts of the country.

“A failure to arrest Secondus and any other person that threaten war against Nigeria over the elections will make these law enforcement agencies accessories to any breakdown of law and order carried out by the PDP.”