The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State has come under fire from Governor Abdullahi Sule, who has accused the opposition party of deliberately stoking unrest along religious and ethnic lines in the wake of a recent Court of Appeal judgment upholding the governor’s election victory.
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs, Mr Peter Ahemba, voiced these concerns during a press conference held in Lafia yesterday.
Ahemba alleged that the PDP engaged in a campaign to discredit and blackmail the judiciary by orchestrating a protest in the state capital following the recent court ruling.
According to Ahemba, the “Coalition of Indigenous People of Nasarawa State,” purportedly sponsored by the PDP, referred to certain citizens of the state as “foreigners” during what he termed a “stage-managed” protest.
He asserted that such rhetoric aimed at dividing the state along ethnic lines was unprecedented in a region where diverse groups have historically coexisted peacefully.
Ahemba stated that the PDP had consistently pursued a dangerous path since the electioneering campaigns leading up to the March 18 governorship election.
Despite warnings from security agencies to avoid inciting a crisis, the opposition party allegedly persisted in its efforts to destabilize the state.
“The recent stage-managed protest against the Appeal Court judgment is a calculated attempt to discredit the courageous, sound, and firm judgment of the Appeal Court and blackmail the nation’s judiciary for choosing to look at the appeal brought before it by the Governor on its merit rather than primordial sentiments,” he said.
Ahemba further criticized the PDP for calling on the international community to intervene in the state’s internal affairs, deeming it a desperate move to advance an ethnic agenda.
He urged security agencies to take note of the opposition’s rhetoric, warning that it could potentially incite hate among citizens.
