The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and the All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, over the weekend, had sternly warned that the nation may witness massive protests if the newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC, is denied registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Their statement further reiterated and emphasised the highly controversial statement by the former Zanfara state governor, Ahmed Sani Yerima.
The party, while reacting to the interrogation of the former Zamfara state Governor and serving senator, Ahmed Yerima, by the police after he featured on a radio programme in Kaduna on Saturday, said the country will witness another massive protest should the Independent electoral body frustrate its merger option.
Ahmed was however released same day after he was grilled for hours for making the statement, DailyPost had confirmed.
In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, ACN said Mr. Yerima’s arrest on the grounds that he threatened a revolt if INEC refuses to register APC, was an act of ‘budding fascism’.
“We will like to say, in support of Senator Yerima, that if INEC refuses to register the All Progressives Congress, APC, when all the legal requirements have been met, the protest in Tahrir Square in Egypt will be a child’s play compared to what we will do at the Eagle Square,” the party said.
ACN further stated that it believed that the People’s Democratic Party was behind the arrest, as it was getting “jittery” of the popularity of APC.
“We say this because we are aware that the PDP, which is mortally afraid of the rise and rise of the APC, is behind the phantom African People’s Congress which has applied to INEC for registration, in an effort to instigate an acronym crisis and give INEC a reason, if it needs any, not to register the All Progressives Congress.
“But we will like to warn that if indeed INEC has not merged with the PDP, as one of our leaders, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has brilliantly said, then we do hope that the electoral body – which by the way is not unaware of the All Progressives Congress as the authentic APC – will not succumb to the evil machinations of the apprehensive PDP,” ACN said.
On its part, the ANPP also said that the Yerima’s arrest was a pointer that tough times are ahead of opposition leaders.
The party in a statement by its spokesperson, Emeka Eneukwu said, “To start with, ours is a democracy wherein free speech is paramount; and Senator Yerima was exercising his rights without breaching public peace by any means.”
“Moreover, peaceful demonstration is also legal. If Senator Yerima expresses doubts about the sincerity of the ruling party in supporting democratic best practices, and calls for a future peaceful demonstration, it is only a government which has malicious agenda that would take offence at such opinion.”
“No intimidation can rattle us. And as a party, we shall not waver in playing the part history has reserved for us in the ranks of other like-minded progressives. We believe that Nigeria has all it takes to stand tall in the committee of nations,” the statement said.
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