Buhari Warns FG To Stop Harassing & Intimidating Political Opponents

Buhari Warns FG To Stop Harassing & Intimidating Political Opponents

A former Head of State and chief of the All Progressives Congress, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Monday warned the Federal Government against harassing and intimidating perceived political opponents.

Buhari, who featured on the  English service of the Liberty FM Radio,   Kaduna, made specific mention of the detention of APC’s Interim Secretary,   Nasir el-Rufai, and the arrest of  the sons of Jigawa State Governor,  Sule Lamido, for money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Buhari, who  also  said that the   timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission  for  the 2015 elections was subject to modification by political parties,  argued that   el-Rufai’s comment on the poll was an exercise of  his constitutional right to freedom of speech.

He  told the Federal Government to realise that Nigerians were now much more aware of their rights and what they expected from it.

Buhari said,  “All we are fighting for now  is to have proper democracy. What I mean is that whatever people say, whether they reflect briefly on it or not, Nigerians are now well aware of their rights and what they expect from the government.

“What they (Nigerians) are doing  is to fight for true democracy in the country. They want free and fair elections in the country in 2015.”

He wondered why the State Security Service would invite and  detain el-Rufai, who was also a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory,  for  the same comment others  had made  but were left to walk  freely  on the streets.

The APC leader  was apparently  referring to the leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, Mujahedeen Asari-Dokubo, who  had warned in September 2013   that there would be bloodshed if Jonathan lost  in 2015.

 He had said that Niger Delta compatriots would not succumb to any force opposed to  Jonathan’s presidential ambition which, according to him, was already settled.

He had said, “The way things are going, there is no sitting on the fence in the battle before us.   When some people say they have a right to rule and others don’t have, then there is no sitting on the fence. All of us will have to be in the ring and fight. We cannot leave Goodluck (Jonathan) alone.

“Whether they contest or they don’t. If they say the blood of the dogs and the baboons will be soaked in the streets, we will help them to soak blood in the streets.”

But Buhari said,  “We have to properly secure and manage this country. You cannot deny some citizens their rights to express their own opinion and yet allow some  to brazenly threaten the cooperate existence of the country without  inviting and asking them to explain themselves. Some of those people  are given a ride in presidential jets.

“When others do it, government locks them up or  harass them. That is not the way to do things. The government must stop harassing those  in  opposition parties.”

On  the arrest and prosecution  of  Lamido’s sons,  the former Head of State noted  that if such could happen  to them, the fate of  the  children of   ordinary Nigerians was not guaranteed.

Source: Legit.ng

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Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com