The Chairman, New Nigeria Peoples Party in Kano, Hon. Umar Haruna Doguwa has condemned in strong terms, attacks on its members in the state.
The chairman who made the condemnation on Wednesday during a press conference in Kano said, the state government and it’s allies are to be blamed for the attacks on oppositions parties especially members of NNPP with the hope to intimidate and scare them from voting.
Doguwa, also decried the non-chalant attitude of the Police in the state towards arresting and prosecuting those behind such attacks despite series of complaints officially submitted to the Police.
According to him, the APC must know that no amount of intimidation or use of government organs can deter them or their supporters from voting the candidates of their choice
Haruna further charge the Police in the state to remain Non-partisan and allow a free and fair ground for all the parties in the state for smooth conduct of the forthcoming elections.
“As you are all aware, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, is a peace loving party that has been carrying out it activities without any form of crisis”.
“So far, we have visited 27 local governments on a state rally and there were no report of crisis other than in some cases where the ruling APC sponsored their thugs as part of their mission to disrupt our rallies which have been aborted”.
Despite our love for peace, we have decided not to remain silence on issues bothering on political crisis such as intimidation, harassment, maiming and injuring innocent citizens particularly the supporters of NNPP”.
“Gentlemen of the press, you may recall that we have suspended our rally activities for two days during the recent visit of President Buhari to Kano to ensure that he has a peaceful visit”.
Unfortunately, it was speculated that the State Government would orchestrate a shameful attack on the President’s convoy which we as a party highlighted to the Nigeria Police in Kano through a formal letter to all security agencies”.
“The rest is now history as we are yet to hear of any arrest.With the elections drawing closer by the day, Kano State Government is faced with the reality of imminent defeat at the polls”.
“It has therefore, devised devilish means of manipulating elections through attack and intimation of members of the opposition parties using primarily political thugs and some police personnel who ordinarily ought to be apolitical in the discharge of their responsibility”.
“Eleven days after the unfortunate attacks on the country home of one of our leading members who serves as the Director Intelligence and Strategy, Barr. Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado which occurred at Rimingado Local Government after the visit of our gubernatorial candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf, the police were seen raiding the Sharada resident of Barr. Muhuyi Magaji again at around 9:30pm on Tuesday 7th February, 2023. A formal complaint was lodged.
This came as a surprise to us because we are aware of a subsisting court judgement, restraining the police from such an act.
A copy of the Court judgement is available in the public domain. Though the motive of doing the latest act is still unknown, but is not unconnected with his running battle with the incumbent Governor of Kano State where the later is very uncomfortable with decision of the unrepentant Anti-Corruption Czar joining forces with the NNPP to salvage what is remaining of Kano State from his administration.
Equally, the police who failed to receive and treat the complaints of NNPP members of Danbatta, Takai and Makoda Local Governments have now resorted to harassment and intimidation of our members including some candidates of the party, campaign spokespersons, social media activists and the Director General of the Campaign, Dr Ali Abuakar Makoda.
We are not unaware of the plans by the APC-led Administration in Kano State to frame our members in the buildup to elections in order to intimidate them and pave way for election rigging.
It is on this note that the party condemn in strong terms the recent attacks and intimidation of its members, as there is no level of pressure that will deter us from breaking the shackles of the unrepentant corrupt politician whose symbol of identification is stocking American Dollars in their pockets”, Umar added.
However, when contacted on the development, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, spokesperson Kano state Police Command promised to respond to the accusations of the NNPP which he didn’t till the time of filing this report.