~Says democracy under serious threat in Adamawa
The organizing secretary of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), Mustapha Atiku Ribadu has accused governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of arresting a vocal critic of his administration, A.A Lawal Uba urging the governor to unconditionally release the detained politician.
Uba has in recent times authored vicious political screeds against governor Fintiri despite being a member of the ruling party.
He has variously accused the governor of high-handedness, duplicity, corruption and executive rascality.
Ribadu said democracy is under serious threat if the governor will unilaterally use his executive powers to order the arrest of citizens for openly voicing out their views.
He noted that if Fintiri could order the arrest of his own party man for disagreeing with him, he will not bat an eyelid to crush the mainstream opposition parties.
Ribadu who frowned at what he called “reckless and primitive display of executive power” said, the development is a political abberation and an invitation to anarchy calling on the governor to take a volte face before he throws the state into the wilderness.
“Democracy is seriously under threat in Adamawa since the governor has started using his executive powers to crush opposition and those who disagree with him.
“If a governor can order the arrest of his own party man for criticising him then we are in for a big trouble in Adamawa. That is why it has become incumbent for all lovers of democracy to stand against this anomaly because it has the tendency to eclipse our hard earned democracy.
“From information at my disposal, A.A Lawal Uba was arrested yesterday for no reason other than critisizing the Fintiri led government. Of what use is democracy if people could not express their views and feelings?
“Despite the fact that the detained politician is suffering from a serious health challenge, he could not be released to get medical treatment. This is a new low in Adamawa state and we will definitely challenge it,” Ribadu said.
Reacting to the allegation, Humwashi Wonosikou, press secretary to governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri called the accusation as wobbly and slippery dig to impugn the superlative democratic credentials of governor Fintiri.
“In the history of Adamawa State, no governor was abused and maligned like Fintiri, yet as a leader, he has remained calm, calculative and composed.
“Only a misdirected and mischievous mind will accuse Fintiri of ordering arrest of anyone. Ribadu and his co-travellers should try to sort out themselves and for once stop trying their puerile political tantrum,” he said.
