Nigeria’s opposition party chairman, Secondus, alleges Buhari keeping political prisoners

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has called for the unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore who had been arrested for organisng the ‘Revolution Now’ protest.

While addressing newsmen on Tuesday, Secondus further urged President Muhammadu Buhari to release ‘political prisoners’ and allow a political atmosphere and a country where there is freedom of speech.

Secondus, who was speaking during a visit to Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, noted that there should be no room for political prisoners in a democracy.

He said: “We ask Mr President, Mr Buhari, to release political prisoners. It is not done in any political dispensation. What we are seeing today is as if we are in a military era. He should urgently release political prisoners and allow a political atmosphere and a country where there is freedom of speech.”

The PDP chairman also asked the media to take the lead, saying, “I want to call on journalists and media managers not to sit on the fence. They can’t just sit and watch the country sliding. They played major role in the past, removing the country from the hands of the military.

READ ALSO: Sani dubs Nigerians ‘hypocrites’, says they hate dictators of other countries, but admire theirs

“They have tempered with some among them. It is time for them to join hands with the good people of Nigeria to stand on the path of truth, on the path of democracy.”

Emphasizing the view that freedom of conscience must be allowed its reign in a political environment, with particular reference to the arrest of the presidential candidate of the Africa Action Congress (AAC) in the last election and convener of the #RevolutionNowmovement, Omoyele Sowore, Secondus said, “The president must release political prisoners, particularly the presidential candidate of AAC, Sowore.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now