POLICE STOP APC RALLY IN NIGER STATE

There was uneasy calm in Niger State as the Police began a crackdown on the All Progressive Congress loyalists who were in Minna to rally support for David Umaru, the Niger East Senatorial candidate for Saturday Bye-Elections.

Fully armed members of the Police locked out members of the APC from the Minna Polo ground, venue of the APC rally.

Spokesman for the state’s chapter of the APC, Jonathan Vatsa, said the APC had applied to use the venue on the 24th but were denied because PDP chose the same time.

He said, “We sought approval from the police to hold our rally, each time we applied they will tell us PDP is having their rally the same time, day and venue. That is exactly what is happening today again.

“They told us they could not grant us the approval and you know the electoral law which states that parties should stop campaigning within 24 hours to the election and today is the only day we have and they still denied us.

“Anybody, anywhere who is denying us of not having our rally is infringing on our fundamental human rights and tampering with our citizenship. They are not being fair to us, they are afraid of us since our candidate emerged. PDP has been having sleepless night.”

One of the party members, Mohammed Garba, who happened to be at the venue of the rally, confronted the Police.

He said, “It is our right to associate, you (the Police) are trying to deny us our right. How can you deprive us of doing rally and allow the other party to do theirs? It is our right to exercise our right, our people are at the APC secretariat and after which they are coming here but you have deprived us.”

The police officers who refused to speak to journalists claimed they are only avoiding a clash between the PDP and APC and not to deprive any party.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Ibrahim Gambari, however said the officers on the ground were at the venue to provide security and not to bar anybody or party or to harass anyone.