A Chieftain of the ruling All
Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Timi Frank, has alleged that he has been
marked for arrest and prosecution by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
According to Frank, this is
because of his voice of opposition to the style of the administration.
The politician also lamented the
withdrawal of his Police security aides, while alleging that a serving Minister
is threatening media houses against publishing his news releases.
Frank had recently written the
British Government, reporting President Buhari to the Prime Minister, Theresa
May over what he described as death of democracy in Nigeria.
He raised the points in a
statement he signed and made available to newsmen on Thursday, urging
Nigerians, and especially the National Assembly not to relent in providing
leadership to ensure the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.
The APC chieftain also called on
Civil Society Organizations and labour unions not to gloss over glaring threats
against the nation’s democracy.
The statement read, “It has
become imperative for me to use this medium to bring to the attention of the
general public, as well as members of the international community that on
Wednesday 6th June, 2018, the Federal Government ordered the withdrawal of my
police security aides.
“Even though no reason has been
given for this sudden action by the police authorities, I believe that it is
connected with my fight to preserve the nation’s democracy by speaking out
against anti-democratic tendencies and clamouring for adherence to the rule of
law under the present administration.
“I also have it on good authority
that a directive has been given for my immediate arrest and detention. It has
also come to my knowledge that a frontline Minister in the present
administration is going round media houses and online media and threatening
them to either stop publishing and airing my views on national issues or face
sanctions from the government.
He recalled that he had course to
issue four open letters to be published in major national newspapers in one of
which he passionately pleaded with Buhari to stop security agencies from
harassing and intimidating Nigerians especially those perceived as enemies of
the administration.
He also called on relevant
security and anti-graft agencies, to follow due process in the ongoing fight
against corruption in the country.
He added, “I had decried a
situation where personalities mainly from the opposition, Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) and new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) arm of our party, the All
Progressives Congress, are being selectively targeted for persecution in the
guise of fighting corruption.
“I dare say that the withdrawal
of my police security aides and from other deserving Nigerians has become the
modus operandi of this government in silencing the opposition.
“I also want to state that
impunity in the country is moving from bad to worse as evidenced by the
withdrawal of my security and my being marked for arrest and prosecution,
simply because I have not ceased to speak up against acts of injustice,
intimidation and harassment of Nigerians, since the inception of this
government.”
He said that the plot against him
shows that the Nigeria Police which is supposed to protect all Nigerians has
become personalized and is being used to protect only those singing the praises
of the present administration.
He said that the last
administration was more democratic and tolerant than the present one because
despite his incessant criticism of the Jonathan’s administration, he never
ordered the withdrawal his police aides, as well as those of all opposition
members now in government who were opposed to Jonathan and his government as at
that time.
Frank added, “This unwarranted
action by the Government against me, I must say, is meant to expose me to grave
danger and personal harm with the aim to permanently shut me up.
“Nigerians had expected leaders
in this administration to learn to tolerate criticism from the opposition as a
common feature in any democratic setting. Take South Africa, for example, where
a member of parliament and leader of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters
(EFF) party, Julius Malema, often criticizes the President of South Africa
without his security aides being withdrawn or him breing framed-up for arrest
and prosecution.
“I want to make it categorically
clear however, that no amount of intimidation, harassment and arrest will make
me to close my eyes and mouth in the face of ongoing human rights violations
and actions capable of truncating the nation’s democracy, being perpetrated by
the present administration.
“I solemnly reiterate my resolve to pay the
supreme sacrifice if that is what is required to ensure freedom, respect for
human dignity and good governance in Nigeria. However, I want to use this
opportunity to inform Nigerians that the present administration should be held
responsible should any harm befall me.”
This man is not serious. Are you better than the rest of us without Police aides . Well deserving, what makes you deserving and makes me not? ?
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