The Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council has called on Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri to direct the immediate and unconditional release of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain, Ebikpoemi Ebikibina Ugo.
The Spokesperson of the APC PCC, Festus Keyamo made the call in a statement signed by him Friday.
Ugo, according to Keyamo is also the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (ABAT) Media Center Coordinator, Bayelsa State.
The APC stalwart was recently arrested by the police on the order of Gov. Diri over alleged defamation and attempt to disrupt the public peace.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment in the statement demanded further that Diri should immediately withdraw his complaint to the Police, which in turn should immediately withdraw the charges and discontinue the trial of Ugo and set him free.
In lieu of this, Keyamo, demanded Governor Diri to immediately instruct the Attorney-General of Bayelsa state to take over the matter from the Police and “enter a nolle prosecui (discontinue the trial)”.
Alternatively, the junior Minister urged the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to immediately instruct the Bayelsa State Police Command to withdraw the charges against Ugo forthwith and set him free.
“Anything short of any of these options above will be oppressive, barbaric and undemocratic and would be consequently unacceptable to us and we shall respond fully in a lawful and legitimate manner.
“A word is enough for the wise”, Keyamo warned.
The mouthpiece of the APC PCC expressed dismay, saying that the conduct and complaint of Governor Diri was shocking.
“Here is an opposition Governor who is at the forefront of the call for State Police already misusing the Police to oppress a hapless and harmless citizen just asking valid questions (even without mentioning the Governor’s name). These are the same leaders of the opposition that are quick to cry blue murder at the slightest provocation if the act had been that of an APC Governor or the Federal Government. These are the same opposition Governors that are begging Nigerians to re-elect them because they have allegedly turned a new leaf. Alas! The leopard cannot change its spot.
“It is on record that despite the deluge of misinformation and abuses against President Muhammadu Buhari on a daily basis on social media, he has NEVER FOR ONCE used the Police to clamp down on anyone as a result of a mere defamatory post on social media. Instead, he even conferred some of them with National Honours recently. If the APC Governors retaliate in their various States by clamping down on officials of opposition parties, it will be an invitation to total chaos across the country.
“It is unfortunate that there is always a tendency to see it as “oppression” only if it is an act of the ruling party. However, the Press and the entire gamut of Civil Society cannot apply a different standard because this dastardly act is being perpetrated by an opposition Governor’’ Keyamo cautioned.
Keyamo recalled that Ugo was arrested by the Bayelsa State Police Command on the 18th of October, 2022 for making two Facebook posts as follows: “What about the Federal Government N150 sent to the State?
“Shameful broadcast and you still have mind begging Muhammadu Buhari for more money when the one he brought was pocketed.”
The APC Chieftain Keyamo said was then detained illegally for several days before he was arraigned in court for “Defamation of Character” and “Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of Peace”.
He was subsequently remanded in prison custody, where he according to Keyamo remains till date under terrible conditions.