Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have condemned the fact that the party’s spokesman, Olisa Metuh was handcuffed while being taken to court to answer charges of alleged fraudulent diversion.
The PDP Governors Forum in a statement signed by the coordinator of the forum, Osaro Onaiwu, said the action was intended to deride the opposition party and make it look like party of criminals even when Metuh was yet to be confirmed guilty.
“The only reasonable conclusion we have reached is that the anti-corruption agencies and other institutions of state have allowed themselves to be dictated to by a single vindictive authority which takes pleasure in using power anyhow and in anyway in gross abuse of the constitution, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and human liberty.
“The cuffing of the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP exemplifies a terrible decay of power by the APC regime which sees itself bigger than the democratic state, Nigeria, which brought it to power.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Forum is not against the anti-corruption mantra of the present regime of President Muhammadu Buhari, but we insist it must be within the ambit of our constitution and appropriate laws.
“Any other means is a descent into fascism with its attendant consequences in the long run,” the statement reads.
The forum also observed that Section 34 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, frowns at all forms of degradation of man particularly inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment, of which Metuh was subjected to.
The governors called on security and anti-graft agencies to be mindful of how they take instructions from political office holders as the tide of power was constantly moving, as the APC will not be in power forever.
