By Ismail Auwal
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded for an immediate and unconditional release of Salihu Yakasai, son of the elder statesman Tanko Yakasai, by the security agency.
In a letter signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, it described the reported arrest of Yakasai by security operatives as well as his alleged detention in a secret facility following his criticism against the Buhari administration’s failures in the fight against banditry in our country, as completely unacceptable.
“Yakasai’s ordeal is a sad reminder of the sudden disappearance of another known critic of the Buhari administration, Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Abu Hanifa Dadiyata, since August 2019,” the leading opposition party alleged in the statement.
PDP also reminded the APC-led administration that Nigeria is a democratic nation and that the rights of citizens, including their freedom of expression, within the ambit of the law, are firmly guaranteed in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and as such, must be respected.
“Our party therefore rejects the arrest of Salihu Yakasai, for joining other patriotic Nigerians in demanding a Presidential commitment of a decisive action to rescue the abducted Zamfara schoolgirls as well as to end all acts of terrorism in our country,” said the PDP.
PDP then condemned the decision of the Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Umar Ganduje, in summarily relieving Yakasai of his appointment as his Special Adviser on Media, on the ground that his patriotic demand for a decisive action to end terrorism, was contrary to the stand of the APC government.
“It is also instructive to note that Governor Ganduje equally warned all political appointees and public servants in the state against such patriotic expressions like those made by Salihu,” the party alleged.
The statement added that the “action of the Governor Ganduje has again heightened apprehensions on the alleged connections between APC leaders and the bandits pillaging our nation.”
Therefore, “PDP demands that Governor Ganduje comes clean on the matter.”
The opposition party then charged Nigerians to hold the APC and its leaders responsible for the escalated acts of banditry and terrorism in our country as well as any harm that suddenly comes the way of well-meaning citizens who are raising their voices against the activities of outlaws in our nation.
