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MINNA – The Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago-led All Progressive Congress (APC) administration have been called upon to stop muzzling opposition voices, but in the spirit of democratic norms, give equal rights to existing political parties in Niger state to exercise their rights of movement unrestricted.
The call is coming against the backdrop of reported denials of opportunity to opposition parties in Niger state to erect billboards to promote their candidates ahead of next year’s general elections, as the ruling APC are doing.
State Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Hassan Musa, in reaction to reports that opposition parties were not allowed to erect billboards as the APC are doing, described the scenario as the height of undemocratic norms associated with the ruling party.
Musa accused the ruling APC of deliberately making efforts to destroy the opposition political parties, not only in Niger state but across the country, by projecting the unpopular one-party system in Nigeria.
He condemned in strong terms the preferential treatment being accorded to only the ruling APC, which has erected billboards in strategic locations to promote their candidates ahead of next year’s general elections, but denied the ADC and other opposition parties the same rights to such spaces.
The ADC chairman, accusing the ruling APC of deliberately making efforts to silence opposition political parties in the country, said, “From all indications, the APC does not want opposition political parties to exist because they know they have failed Nigerians and now resorted to forcefully silencing opposition voices”.
Musa said he is wondering why APC, which claims total acceptability by Nigerians, is using force, threats to life and other coercion to subdue opposing voices into accepting them.
Accusing the ruling APC of being jittery because they are increasingly becoming unpopular and unacceptable in the eyes of Nigeria’s political elites, Musa challenged the APC to give Nigerians the chance to decide who leads them in the next dispensation through free and fair polls.
“This is not democracy. Unfortunately, opposition parties are the targets of the ruling party, to destroy them at all costs at all levels of politicking. Certainly, this is not a good omen for Nigeria’s democracy.”
With what is happening across Nigeria, Musa said it is crystal clear that the APC wanted to remain in power beyond 2027, and that is why they keep deceiving the world, claiming what is not happening in Nigeria’s political space.
He said, “We know they don’t like seeing billboards of opposition parties and their candidates, which is not possible because this is a democracy and democratic rights should be accorded to every citizen. The ADC and other political parties must not be denied rights to billboards across the 25 local government areas of Niger state”.
If the rights to erect the billboards have been approved by the Niger State Urban Development Board (NUDB), Musa said he see no reason why his party should be denied the rights to erect the ADC governorship billboard at Paiko, headquarters of Paikoro local government.
Musa, who expressed regret that the Governor Bago-led administration is denying the ADC the right to promote their governorship candidate, Dr. Mohammed Kpautagi, after approval by the NUDB, said what is happening now is a case of government abusing the power of incumbency in promoting selfish interests to remain in power by force.
“What we are witnessing in this state in particular, and maybe across Nigeria are evidence of connivance with the APCON, whereby movements of other political parties are restricted in the state, while the APC enjoy unrestricted preferential treatment, and this is directly undermining Nigeria’s democratic processes”.
