PDP guber candidate alleges planned crackdown on supporters in Bauchi Draft

By Samuel Luka, Bauchi

The gubernatorial candidate, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir has alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has concluded plans to crackdown on its supporters during elections. Senator Bala Mohammed levelled the allegation on Friday while speaking to journalists at a Press conference held in Command Guest House, Bauchi. He said that the government under the All Progressives Congress (APC) is planning to deploy mobile police to all PDP strongholds in the state to scare people from coming out to cast their votes. Senator Bala explained that the act is unacceptable as it contravenes the rules and regulations of engaging security agencies during elections world over. He argued that the practice the world over is, only conventional police are given the mandate to keep vigil at voting areas. According to him, “we have information from reliable source that the state government in collaboration with some security agencies are planning to destabilize the election through acts that are detrimental to the success of the elections”. The governorship candidate said the plan if taken care of through public notice and information will help douse the tension created by the government and some security agencies. He alleges plans of arbitrary arrest of his party’s supporters without committing any offence which according to him will jeopardize preparations done by his party ahead of the elections. Senator Bala who explained that some of the targeted youths are accredited agents of PDP for various elections acknowledged that the law can deal with anybody but it must be justified. He alleged that, “the state government in conjunction with some unscrupulous security agencies have concluded plans to brand some cars with posters of PDP candidates, more especially that of the speaker house of representatives”. Senator Bala added that, “they intend to put arms in those vehicles and then put them on the road and armed their agents who will drive those vehicles, arrest, parade them and blamed it on PDP candidates”. The guber hopeful explained that the plan is to portray them as the culprit thereby dragging the name of speaker Dogara and other PDP candidates to disrepute. Not only that, the Bauchi PDP guber candidate alleges plans by the ruling party in the state to use their boys to destroy campaign billboards, posters and campaign stands and blame it on PDP supporters to justify any clampdown on them.