PDP Accuses Governor Sani of Using Security Forces to Abduct House of Reps Candidate, 25 Others
The Kaduna PDP accuses Governor Uba Sani of ordering security to detain its candidate.
The party alleges 25 members were arrested in a hotel raid ahead of the bye-election.
The Kaduna State branch of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that Governor Uba Sani ordered security operatives to detain its candidate for the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency bye-election, Princess Esther Ashivelli Dawaki, together with 25 other party members.
In a statement released on Saturday, the party’s state chairman, Edward Percy Masha, claimed that the Operation Fushin Kadana joint security outfit, said to be directed by the Kaduna State Government, raided the City Den Hotel in Malali on Friday night. According to the PDP, the operatives forced their way into a room while attempting to arrest the Campaign Council Chairman, Hon. Hussein Ahmed-Kero.
The statement further alleged that when the operatives failed to find him, they instead took away Dawaki along with 25 other PDP members who were staying at the hotel.
The party condemned the incident as a “brazen act of harassment and intimidation,” accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of weaponizing state security forces to suppress opposition voices ahead of the bye-election.
“The PDP denounces this blatant act of intimidation and abuse by the APC and calls for the immediate, unconditional release of its candidate and every other member being detained,” the statement declared.
Masha further alleged that the actions signaled “desperation” on the part of the ruling party, likening it to “the last kick of a dying horse.”
The PDP appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the DSS Director General, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Chief of Defence Staff, to step in without delay.
The PDP further appealed to civil society organisations, democracy advocates, and the wider Nigerian public to push back against what it described as a direct assault on constitutional rights and an attempt to undermine the electoral process in Kaduna State.
The statement added: “We call on civil society bodies and all defenders of democracy to stand against this brazen attack on our democratic institutions and constitution in Kaduna State. Let it be clear that the PDP will neither be silenced nor intimidated.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed a bye-election to fill the vacant Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.
The forthcoming poll is expected to be fiercely contested, with both the PDP and APC presenting formidable candidates.
Political observers have cautioned that the alleged abductions could further inflame tensions in Kaduna, a state already known for intense partisan rivalry.
Reaffirming its commitment to protecting the rights of its members, the PDP called on supporters to remain resolute in the face of intimidation and to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
The party declared, “The APC conduct is a clear sign of desperation and looming defeat, hence its resort to intimidation. But no amount of coercion will shield the APC from rejection by the people. The PDP will continue to stand firm in defending the democratic rights of its members and Nigerians as a whole.”
