PDP Condemns Arrest of Members by Sokoto Police

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State has condemned in the strongest terms the arrest of Shafi’u Umar Tureta, a Special Assistant to Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on Media by operatives of the Nigeria Police 

In a statement issued by the state Publicity Secretary, Hassan Sahabi Sannyinawal, PDP said: “Our party understands that Tureta was arrested on the orders of the Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, for sharing a viral video clip of the governor struggling to make a statement in English and another equally nationally well-circulated clip of cash spray at the governor’s wife’s birthday party.

“We, first of all, wish to draw the attention of the governor to the fact that the visuals in question must have been recorded by camera men attached to his own office or his family and initially leaked to the public by the same people.”

Hassan explained that it is also not a crime in the Nigerian law to make public videos of the governor’s public engagements or of events attended by his family, however embarrassing they may be. 

It is, therefore, his task or that of his aides to ensure that such materials do not get to the public arena.

The PDP state scribe said: “The PDP wishes to caution the Sokoto State Government of its fast worsening human rights record occasioned by its notoriety for harassment and assault on dissenting opinion. We hereby, counsel Ahmed Aliyu to turn his energy towards improving the dismal performance of his regime rather than the desperate struggle to stifle freedom of expression in the state.

“Our party supporters and media personnel are not responsible for the governor’s personal and administrative deficits and short comings. We advise therefore, that he should endeavour to deal with his failures in constructive and proactive ways, instead of visiting his frustration for his shortcomings on innocent citizens.”

The PDP demanded the immediate, unconditional release of Shafi’u Umar Tureta and a final stop to the brutality meted by the Sokoto State Government on citizens for simply exercising their constitutional right to criticising bad governance and unbecoming conduct by those in power in the state.