By Valentine Amanze
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the unrelenting media trial and persecution of opposition members and other perceived political opponents of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the guise of fight against corruption.
PDP made the condemnation in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.
Though the PDP said that it supported the fight against corruption, it was completely against government’s resort to media trial, constant harassment, unlawful detention and trumped up charges against opposition members, using various agencies, particularly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
It also condemned the emerging trend by the EFCC, wherein accused persons and individuals who were still under investigation on alleged corruption charges were paraded and forced to hang criminal tags, as meted out to Kaduna State former Governor, Muktar Yero, even when such persons have not been convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction.
“The PDP is totally against the desperation by the EFCC, working under the instruction of the APC, to declare a guilty verdict on accused persons without trial by the courts, all in the bid to bring perceived political opponents to public odium and emasculate the opposition ahead of 2019 general elections,” he said.
It condemned the direct interferences in on-going cases, including those in court, by appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly, members of the Presidential Advisory Committee on
Corruption, whose comments and actions have continued to escalate media trials and other irregularities in the handling of such cases.
It further said that it would no longer stomach the hijacking of the duties of the judiciary by agencies of the executive under the instructions of the Presidency.
According to PDP, “Nigerians will recall that the PDP had earlier raised the alarm over this unrelenting assault, harassment and persecution of opposition members under the guise of fight against corruption.
“This reckless abuse and violation of procedures of the law by the APC is a clear recipe for civil unrest in our nation, if it does not stop.”
It however advised the Federal Government to prosecute the fight against corruption within the ambits of the provisions of the law and not as an instrument of persecution and clampdown against the opposition.