The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) vis-a-vis its control over the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is planning to arrest 50 of its senior party members by Christmas.
According to a statement released by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, already arrests are being made.
He said, “five members of our party have been illegally arrested and detained by EFCC without any charge preferred against them.”
“The latest needless onslaught against our party members is the plan by the APC government at the centre to incarcerate 50 members of our party before the end of this year with a view to using their arrest to deceive Nigerians that the failed anti-corruption war is still on course.
“The dirty job we are aware, have been handed over to the compromised anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) .
“Who the rest 45 members to be picked up are, we cannot say in the immediate. However, we are by no means scared of the persecution by the Buhari administration as we are sure that the daylight is about to break after the dark night of the APC administration.
“We wish to state clearly that what is ongoing under the Buhari administration is not a fight against corruption but an attempt at using members of the PDP as scapegoats and cover up for the ineffectual anti-corruption agenda of the current government.
“The current wave of arrests therefore has nothing to do with the failed anti corruption war but everything with 2019 elections. Having failed on all it’s major election planks and with nothing to show for its over thirty months in office , the APC government has come to the conclusion that the only way to prevent its inevitable defeat at the polls in 2019 is to hound, harass, intimidate and suppress members of our party into submission.
“we wish to state clearly that irrespective of what the APC government do in an attempt at bringing the PDP down to its knees, we shall remain irrepressible and will not bow to any tyranny. The APC has already thrown away it’s chances in the 2019 elections by its non performance . No amount of intimidation and harassment of the opposition will improve its fortunes.
“We call on all men and women of goodwill to rise up to challenge the invidious attempt of the APC government to turn Nigeria into a gestapo state and undermine our hard earned democracy on the altar of political desperation.