By Auwal Mohammad
Gombe (Nigeria) – All Progressives Congress (APC) Gombe State Chapter in northeast Nigeria, has accused Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of political persecution and infringement on freedom of expression by opposition parties in the state.
Secretary of the party in the State, Bello Kasimu Maigari made the accusation while reacting over recent removal of political billboards and posters across Gombe metropolis by agent of the state government.
The APC accused Governor Dankwambo of directing the State Traffic and Environmental Marshalls, a para military state organization, in company of personnel of Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, and Police to remove all billboards and posters belonging to members of the party, including that of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The party said it considers the action of the Marshals on the directed of the governor as clear manifestation of political persecution and infringement of constitutional rights of members of the APC to political association, which the party said goes contrary to Section 39 and 40 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We are apprehensive as to the atmosphere of political bias and violence being foisted upon our party by the state marshals which may likely cause the breach of public peace in the state
“There is strong likelihood that the Governor may be tempted to continue to use the state marshals to intimidate, gag, obstruct, manipulate and harass our party members, supporters, political office seekers, and sympathizers of president Buhari in the build up to the 2019 general election”, the party said.
While expressing disappointment over Dankwambo’s alleged abdication of his responsibility during his second term to aspire for the seat of the President, the APC further accused the governor of allegedly co-sponsoring the “Resume or Resign” Abuja protest staged against President Buhari .
The party therefore urged the Commissioner of Police in the State to call the State Marshal and others to order with view to the tenets of democracy and tolerance.
Responding on behalf the State Government, State Commissioner of Information, Umar Ahmed Suleiman denied political persecution, stressing that the ban on political billboards and posters was covered by the Billboards Act which requires clearance and payment of a specified amount.
The Commissioner denied that Dankwambo ordered for the removal of billboards and posters belonging to President Buhari, accused the APC of desperately trying to cause political rift between the Governor and President Buhari.
“Governor Dankwambo does not only respect the status of His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but also holds him with the highest esteem of a revered elderly statesman”, he said.
Suleiman described Dankwambo’s administration as an all embracing government cutting across, political, ethnic and religious divide, calling on all opposition parties to desist from unnecessarily heating polity.
“The ban as it should be understood did not single out any political party but even that those billboards and posters belonging to the PDP candidates were not spared”, he said.
