Several conflicting reports and reactions have been trailing the aftermath of the clash between PDP protesters and the police at INEC and Police headquarters at Abuja, Friday 05 October.
Senator representing Bayelsa East senatorial district, Ben Murray-Bruce, who participated in the protest claimed they were teargassed him during the protest without provocation. Several photos on social media seem to lay credence to the use of teargas by security forces to disperse an otherwise crowd of national dignitaries from PDP protesting.
The PDP leaders included Party Chairman, Uche Secondus; other party leaders Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governors Aminu Tambuwal, Ayo Fayose, ex-governors Rabiu Kwankwaso, Sule Lamido, ex-Ministers Tanimu Turaki, among others.
They were protesting the result of the Osun and Ekiti States governorship elections, and the alleged partiality of both INEC and the Police in favour of the federal ruling party, the APC.
From the scene, on his Twitter handle, Ben Bruce tweeted these words…
“I have just been teargassed… Gunshots have been fired. This was and still is a peaceful protest. How can I be treated like this in a country I have fought for and invested in? This is madness, I came with words they answered with bullets!”
Later Murry-Bruce tweeted photos and videos from the scene of the clash.
The PDP in its official response described as dastardly the action of the police against its leaders. The party said no amount of attacks, aggression or acts of intimidation will deter it from confronting and dismantling the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and coast to victory in 2019 election.
In a statement issued by the party’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said “Acting on ‘orders from above,’ the Police assaulted our elected leaders, including our national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus…
“It is completely reprehensible that the same APC leaders, Including President Buhari, who were allowed to freely hold protests under the PDP administration, could now turn around to approve police brutality and aggression against the opposition.”
The party tweeted a throw back photo of 2014 when similarly the All Progressives Congress including the current President, then in opposition to PDP marched freely through the streets of Abuja in protest for free and fair elections.
“This unwarranted attack has left no one in doubt that our Police has finally been turned into a militant wing of the APC, with direct orders to use force to repress opposition and turn our nation into a one party state.”
Earlier at the INEC headquarters, the presidential aspirants said all the PDP leaders were demanding was credible elections that will stand the test of transparency.
But in a swift reaction, the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, on Friday described lthe PDP leaders as “mentally unstable.”
Aregbesola said this in an interview with State House correspondents shortly after he formally presented the Osun State governor-elect, Gboyega Oyetola, to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He wondered why a party that had already gone to court to challenge the Osun election result would still resort to street protest over the same matter.
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