News Editor
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Calls on Tinubu to intervene and save the citizens
By David Odama
LAFIA —Following the military invasion of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP Monday by the, Citizens and the residents of the state have decried the invasion of the opposition PDP allegedly shooting and leaving many hospitalized.
The condemnation came at the heels of the military attack allegedly deployed by the state government to prevent the citizens from protesting against the Appeal court judgement recently.
According to the spoken man of the protesters who is a victim of the military attack, Kefas Tiga alleged that the protesters were members drawn from both Muslims and christians were conducting themselves peacefully at the PDP secretariat to register their disappointment over the appeal court judgement.
“We strongly condemn the unwarranted deployment of soldiers by Governor Sule of Nasarawa State to violently disperse peaceful women protesters exercising their democratic right in the wake of the recent Appeal Court judgment that reinstated him in office after being sacked by the Tribunal”.
“The use of military personnel against their own citizens engaged in a peaceful demonstration as seen in viral video is a gross violation of their constitutional rights, an affront to the principles of democracy and is despicable.
We believe that the protesting women, youths and other concerned citizens of the state strongly believe that Dr. David Emmanuel Ombugadu of the PDP, whom they overwhelmingly voted for, won the March 18, 2023 governorship election but was robbed of victory by the governor in active collusion with the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to the spokesman of the protesters, women were angered by the activities of some vested interests who are bent on subverting the popular will of the people through all available means, including the judicial process. The women believe that the Appeal Court judgement reinstating Governor AA Sule was a miscarriage of justice as it did not align with the overwhelming evidence that the election was rigged.
“There are various video clips showed women in peaceful protest but went unclad when the soldiers were brought in threatening everyone with their weapons, public assets, in circulation showing the women being harassed and bullied and in one of the cases knocked down by the army vehicle and are now hospitalized in the police clinic in Lafia”..
“We believe in the fundamental rights of citizens to express their grievances through peaceful means, and such actions by the governor undermine the democratic values The use of force not only stifles the democratic process but also sets a dangerous precedent for future engagements between the government and its citizens.
“We call on Governor Abdullahi A Sule to respect the rights of the people and refrain from employing excessive force against peaceful demonstrators. The role of leadership is to foster an environment where citizens can voice their concerns without fear of reprisal”
The protesters, furthermore urge President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and other relevant authorities to investigate the incident thoroughly and hold accountable those responsible for ordering and executing the use of force against the protestors.
” PDP remains committed to promoting democratic values, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring that the rights of citizens are protected. We call for a peaceful resolution to the current political situation in our state and hope that Governor AA Sule reevaluates his approach to handling dissenting voices in the state.
