Governors elected on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform have described the invasion of Akwa Ibom State Government House last Friday by the Department of State Services (DSS) as an assault on democracy.
The governors under the aegis of PDP Governors Forum (PDPGF) in a communiqué released by its chairman and governor of Ondo State Olusegun Mimiko at the end of its meeting Monday, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, said they were worried that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government is engaging in acts capable of derailing the country’s democracy.
The governors implored the international community, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and human rights activists to call the APC-led-federal government to respect the well-entrenched democratic traditions and prevent Nigeria from sliding into dictatorship.
“The forum condemns in very strong terms the violation of the sanctity of the Akwa Ibom State Government House by the Department of State Security. It is against the spirit, ethos, values and fundamental tenets of democratic norms and tradition; more so with the existence of a duly-elected and sworn-in Executive Governor of the State.
“That action is one of such continuous attempts by the APC-controlled federal government to stifle the opposition and this is most unacceptable. We insist that the trend must be stopped henceforth. No democracy survives without a viable opposition in any part of the world.
“We once more advise the DSS to pre-occupy itself with the task of ensuring internal security and desist from daily harassing and intimidating members of the opposition,” the PDP governors said.