Harassment of Atiku’s lawyer shows APC is scared and desperate

Monday’s news that operatives of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) had ransacked the offices of and picked up
Mr Uyi Giwa-Osagie, a lawyer and associate of the PDP presidential
candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar came as no surprise to many
Nigerians who have become used to the intimidation of the
opposition by the ruling APC, using state agencies.

The alleged detention of Mr Uyi Giwa-Osagie shows that the APC
government is running scared of the impending victory of the PDP at
the presidential polls on the 23rd of February and are now
desperately trying to harass members or the opposition and their
associates in a bid to weaken their resolve.

Recall that this incident happened hours after the President
said live on television that those who were guilty of
ballot-snatching should not be subjected to the electoral law as
prescribed by the constitution, but that they should be dealt with
ruthlessly. The condemnation that greeted the president’s statement
was widespread, showing that more and more of the electorate are
becoming averse to the combative rhetoric of the APC campaign. It
was during the APC campaign that a party chieftain, Godswil Akpabio
threatened that Akwa Ibom would see war and the governor of Kaduna
State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, was heard on national TV saying
foreign election observers would go back in “body bags” if they
interfere in Nigerian elections.

Social media commentators have noted that with the postponement
of the election, which many say is because the ruling party was
interested in staggered elections, the government has shown serious
desperation to hold onto power irrespective of the wishes of
Nigerians. The harassment and alleged detention of Mr Uyi
Giwa-Osagie, however, points to a more sinister plot to stifle the
opposition candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Late last year, upon
returning from a trip to Dubai, the PDP presidential candidate and
his entourage were subjected to an endless search of their aircraft
by security agents who in the end found nothing incriminating.
Also, the accounts of his running mate, Former Governor Peter Obi
and his family members were frozen until the outcry from Nigerians
on social media made the government agencies have a rethink.

With the election just a few days away, it is clear that most
Nigerians are now aware of the desperation and fear that is in the
camp of the APC and that these acts of intimidation and harassment
on members of the opposition and threats to Nigerians and
international observers is nothing but the final kicks of a dying
donkey.

Culled from Punch