The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the alleged unrelenting onslaught of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government against Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
PDP berated the Federal Government for its decision to allegedly lock the governor out of the Makurdi Airforce base where he had gone, upon formal invitation, to receive Vice President Yemi Osinbajo last Saturday.
The opposition party described the action as another attempt by the APC-led Federal Government to embarrass, harass, unsettle Governor Ortom and sustain the terrorization of the people of Benue State.
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, explained that Governor Ortom, upon formal invitation cancelled his official engagements to accord the Vice President, who landed at the Makurdi Airforce Base en route Taraba State, the necessary respect in line with protocols applicable to the office, only for the governor to be denied access into the Airforce Base to meet the Vice President.
It claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari Presidency cannot deny its involvement in the pre-meditated and provocative act because all arms of the Armed Forces, including the Airforce are under the authority and control of the Commander-in-Chief, who is the head of the executive arm to which the Vice President also belongs.
PDP described that act as an unpardonable assault on Nigeria’s democracy, national unity and peaceful co-existence in the country.
It also dismissed the belated apologies by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the excuse of the communication gap as an afterthought.
The opposition party insisted that “it is obvious that this assault on Governor Ortom is because he has become a thorn in the flesh for the Buhari-led administration given his principled stand on the inhuman and life-discounting stance of the APC administration against the people of Benue State, particularly its failure to protect them from mass killing by marauders, terrorists and known assailants as well as the ill-treatment to internally displaced persons in Benue State.
“Nigerians can recall how officials of the APC-led Federal government have been confronting, harassing, insulting and issuing disrespectful press statements against Governor Ortom for insisting on the rights and security of the people of Benue State under our Federal Structure and Constitutional Democracy.”
It noted that “there are already apprehensions in Benue State that locking Governor Ortom out of the Airforce Base was ostensibly a plot to undermine security around the governor, orchestrate restiveness, place him in harm’s way and blame the outcome on hoodlums”.
PDP demanded an immediate public investigation to unravel the perpetrators behind the action against the governor as well as ensure that such desecration of public office is not encouraged or condoned.
It counselled the APC administration to learn to understand and respect Nigeria’s democratic values and tenets.
