PDP alleges fresh plot to remove Saraki

•Condemns clampdown on civil society activists, others

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alerted of a fresh plot to use the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to forcibly remove Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, also condemned “the continued clampdown, harassment, intimidation, arrest and detention of members of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration”

According to the party, the plot, against Senator Saraki, which is akin to the last invasion of the National Assembly by anti-democratic forces, is to scuttle the success being recorded by the PDP in its campaigns across the country.

He said the PDP is “privy to clandestine meetings by the Muhammadu Buhari presidency and the leadership of the APC, which has not been able to constitute a Presidential campaign organisation, on ways to derail the PDP presidential campaign by going against Saraki”

The statement further reads: “Part of the plot is to use the police and the DSS to fabricate spurious charges against Senator Saraki, distract him and destabilise the PDP Presidential campaign.”

The PDP described the plot as dead on arrival, as Nigerians are solidly behind the party in its mission to rescue the nation from the misrule of the APC.

“Of particular reference is the re-arresting and continued detention of a right activist, Deji Adeyanju, by the police for a matter, which documents, in the public domain, show he has been discharged and acquitted by the court.However, arresting and detaining him on a matter for which there has been a conclusive judicial determination nine years ago, is in clear violation of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and in direct infringement of his right as a citizen under the law.

This is more so as even the spokesperson of President Buhari’s Campaign Organisation, Festus Keyamo (SAN), and who was Adeyanju’s defence attorney counsel on the matter which was before the court between 2005 and 2009, has, in a media report, attested that Adeyanju was discharged and acquitted, and that the prosecution did not file any appeal, because it was satisfied with the ruling.