Just few days after soldiers allegedly lay siege on the Lagos residence of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, the party has cried out over another siege on the residence of its campaign spokesman, Shehu Garba.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a copy obtained by ThisDay.
APC accused the police of laying siege on the residence of the Director of Media and Publicity of the party presidential campaign organisation, Garba, an action it claimed was part of the ongoing harassment and intimidation of its leaders by security agencies.
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The party revealed that Garba’s residence at the NNPC Quarters, Area II, Abuja, has been surrounded by fierce looking armed policemen since 3 a.m. on Thursday, barring him from going to the mosque for prayers.
“Going after the spokesman of our party’s presidential campaign organisation is aimed at muffling the organisation’s voice and abridging the constitutionally-guaranteed rights of the spokesman himself. This is antithetic to democracy and totally unacceptable,” the statement read.
The party called on the people that deployed the armed security men to Garba’s house to swiftly order their withdrawal and explain to Nigerians what he did to deserve such harassment.

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APC stated that following the siege by armed soldiers on the residence of Tinubu, in Lagos and a similar siege on the Imo State Government House in Owerri, it is obvious that the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration has finally launched its much-anticipated clampdown on the opposition ahead of the general elections slated for March 28 and April 11.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Jonathan’s administration are bent on badgering the opposition through the harassment, intimidation and arrest of its leaders as well as the circulation of unfounded rumours against the party. These actions are all aimed at fomenting a crisis and scuttling the forthcoming elections. We are therefore calling on all Nigerians as well as the international community to take note of this growing pattern of harassment and intimidation of the opposition, and the effect such action will have on the conduct of the elections,” the party said.
The opposition party, however, stood its ground that its leadership and members would not be intimidated by the latest antics of the Jonathan-led administration to harass and intimidate the opposition, especially in the run-up to next month’s general elections.
Meanwhile, in another release on Thursday by Mohammed, the party said the recent military siege on Tinubu’s residence and the Imo State Government House as well as police harassment of Shehu discloses the emerging pattern of the incumbent administration.
“As the elections approach, we know the harassment and intimidation will be stepped up. We know our leaders, including the National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, Tinubu, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former governor Timipre Sylva, Senator Bukola Saraki and Lai Mohammed, are under surveillance and their phones being hacked. We are aware that several of them, especially the National Publicity Secretary, have been marked down for arrest in the days to come. We know there are evil plots to frame some of them on trumped-up charges. We know our lives are in danger. But these and more will not deter us from continuing to act in the national interest or from seeking to effect change through the ballot box. Yes, we are alerting Nigerians that if anything happens to us they should know where it is coming from, but for us there is no going back because we are resolute,” APC said.
The party expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their huge and unrelenting support, especially since the shift in elections which was aimed at dampening the enthusiasm of the citizens, but urged them not to relent.
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“We are glad that instead of weakening the resolve and enthusiasm of Nigerians, the Presidency-orchestated postponement has further galvanized them to be more determined not only to vote but also to defend their votes. Nigerians must demand and insist that the elections be held as rescheduled, that there will be no interim government or tenure elongation. Nigerians have the power to forge change with their voter’s cards and no one must deny them that right,” it said
The APC, however, called on President Jonathan to recall the judgment of history and put his dogs of war in chains and remember that history will judge no one but him even for the actions of his supporters who are acting in his name.
Meanwhile, despite the intimidation and harassment allegedly suffered by the opposition leaders in the hands of security agencies, the new Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Joseph Mbu, has threatened to arrest any governor or politician who foments trouble during the forthcoming elections.