The People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress, (APC), have traded words over the arrest of prominent members of the PDP by security agencies in the state.
The Department of State Services, DSS, had on Saturday and Monday respectively, arrested the spokesman of the PDP Campaign Council in Kaduna State, Mr. Ben Bako, and a former PDP state chairman, Alhaji Yaro Makama, for alleged inciting comments during campaign rallies.
Kaduna State chapter of the APC commended the security agencies in the state for what it called “prompt action against politicians that have been inciting violence in the state.”
Chairman of APC in Kaduna State, retired Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekada, blamed the PDP for not condemning the statements.
He accused the party of trying to shield its members who were caught on tape inciting people.
“We condemn the PDP for its apparent attachment and penchant for violence and its abhorrent inability to disown its senior members who were caught on tape inciting violence,” he said.
The party said election campaigns do not confer immunity on any politician and that everyone must respect the law or face the consequences of their actions.
But the PDP in a separate press conference said it was clear from what was going on in Kaduna that the security agencies had taken sides.
State chairman of the party, Felix Hyat, said the party had it on good authority that some of its prominent members had been marked for arrest but said the arrest and intimidation of its members would not spare the APC from defeat at the polls.
He said four prominent members of the party had so far been arrested by security agents in the state at one time or the other, saying the party was concerned because the PDP had been peaceful in its conduct.
He alleged that it was rather the APC that had, had incidents of violence during its campaigns.
