The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the alleged searching of its Presidential candidate and former Vice President of Nigeria, Chief Atiku Abubakar by the Department of State Services at the Abuja Airport on Sunday.
This statement is coming shortly after Alhaji Atiku Abubakar himself put out message on his social media handle, explaining what he went through at the Abuja Airport, saying:
“I arrived to Abuja this morning to a search by agents of the state, aimed at intimidating me and my staff.
“I am committed to building a Nigeria where no citizen is intimidated by agents of state who are paid to protect them.”
PDP in their response, released a statement through their National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ologbondiya condemning the act, saying:
“We condemn in the strongest terms the attack and harassment of our Presidential Candidate, Atiku at Abuja airport today by contingent of special security forces, comprising of the army, the police & other paramilitary agencies on the order of President Muhammadu Buhari”
The PDP in their statement, said the party is alarmed at the alleged move by President Buhari to intimidate their candidate, by invading his privacy, saying:
“It was shocking when the deadly squad, in a Gestapo style attack, and acting on ‘orders from above’ Muhamadu Buhari rushed our candidate Atiku immediately he landed and attempted to physically manhandle him before invading his aircraft with dangerous weapons to conduct a violent search.”
“While they did not find anything incriminating on our Presidential candidate, Atiku this deadly squad, violently tampered with certain personal documents and gadgets belonging to him, including some of his campaign documents.”
“We completely reject such violent attack against the person of our Presidential candidate Atiku by the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency, which we know has been jittery over Atiku Abubakar’s soaring popularity since his emergence as our candidate.
“We invite the world to note that having failed to drag down our Candidate Atiku with spurious allegations and smear campaign, the discredited All Progressives Congress has now resorted to state-backed violence against him and Muhammadu Buhari must be held responsible should any harm befall Atiku.”
The PDP also said that President Buhari and APC should be reminded that power belongs to God, while also insisting that that time has come for Nigerians to pick a new President.