The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday informed President Muhammadu Buhari about a trending video showing his Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, allegedly discussing on how to prosecute next month’s governorship election in Edo State.
In the viral video, Oshiomhole, who met with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, was seen walking with the president’s chief of staff in the State House.
In the footage, the former State Edo governor was heard saying: “Arrest him, deal with…the whole thing goes beyond sermon.”
In its reaction to the development, the party in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Nigerians were alarmed by the video.
The party alleged that Oshiomhole and Gambari were talking about the September 19 governorship election in Edo.
The statement read: “Oshiomhole was seen emphatically urging the Chief of Staff to Mr. President on the need to clampdown on certain unnamed Nigerians to achieve political suppression and submission ahead of the Edo election.
“Our National Campaign Council holds that the presence and involvement of the Chief of Staff to the President and the fact that the discussion held within the precincts of the Presidential Villa has made the presidency complicit and places a huge burden on President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Already, there is anxiety in the public space that the discussion between Oshiomhole and Prof. Gambari as captured in the video is an extension of discussions that must have been held behind closed doors in the Presidential villa.
“The video has validated earlier revelations of plots by Oshiomhole and the discredited APC governorship candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to use compromised security operatives being mobilized by certain individuals in the presidency to arrest innocent Nigerians, including traditional, faith-based and community leaders on trumped-up charges.”
The party insisted that Oshiomhole and the APC candidate had completely lost ground in Edo State hence the plot to clamp down on the people.
PDP told Nigerians to hold the presidency responsible should there be cases of illegal arrests, assassinations, and unexplained killings, sudden disappearances of prominent people, accidental discharge by federal security operatives and mysterious accidents.
It advised Buhari to reassure Nigerians by immediately ordering that Oshiomhole and Gambari be pulled in for questioning over the video.
“Anything short of decisive action on this matter will further indict the Buhari Presidency especially coming on the heels of public anxiety over Mr. President’s widely condemned comment on the use of security forces for elections,” the statement added.