The Peoples Democracy Party has condemned the Department of State Services over the invasion and occupation of the residence of a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the action of the DSS amounted to a violation of the rights of the former NSA and was contrary to the constitution of the country and the tenets of democracy.
He stressed that the invasion of the residence of the former NSA was unacceptable in a democratic setting.
Metuh made the comment while speaking with journalists at John Kadiya Street, Asokoro, residence of Dasuki in Abuja, on Friday.
The PDP Spokesman was turned back at the gate of Dasuki’s residence by operatives of the commission, who insisted that the residence was under security watch.
Metuh said while Nigerians elected Buhari because they wanted him, the actions of some of his aides were scary to the citizenry as they were taking the country back to the dark days of military dictatorship.
“I came into Abuja today because I read the situation about the invasion of the house of the former NSA and his detention, house arrest and other matters. So I drove to his house as a personal friend to see him and to find out what is happening. Then about seven or eight security operatives came out and they said I cannot see him because the house is under security watch.
“And I asked them: security watch in terms of treason, or in terms of terrorism, or what? I need to know, and they said they are not in a position to say. And why I asked this question is that if it is under security watch, on account of corruption or on account of any other reason, it is totally against the constitution of this country.
“This is a democracy, and the democratic tenets and principles apply. The fact is that we deserve basic freedom, liberties and movements associated with democracy. The truth is that Nigerians are getting scared; we voted for our President, they voted for the President and he was duly elected. Nigerians wanted him, Nigerians voted for him, and now he is the father of the nation, he is the father of everyone, he is not serving any other interest.
“But there are certain activities, as it is happening now, by some of his aides and people around him. It is like they are taking us back to the military era. The last time this happened was under the military,” the PDP Spokesman said.
He urged the Federal Government to stop treating those who served in the last administration under President Goodluck Jonahan as prisoners of war.
He said what the PDP lost was an election and not a war.
He called on the government to ensure that those suspected to have committed any act against the laws of the country were handled according to the stipulations of the law.
“There has never been any situation where people would be held against their will. It is completely against his fundamental human rights and we should be careful here. We should be very careful because this is how it started in Zimbabwe, this is how it started in other countries.
“Before you know it, we have a dictatorship, you cannot scare us, we are not guilty because we served under a former President, we are not guilty because we lost an election, we are not losers in a war. We lost an election, not a war, we are not prisoners of war and we should not be treated like prisoners of war.
“What we demand is respect, there is the rule of law, we will not condone corrupt activities or any other illegal or unlawful act,” he said.
