Metuh: Blame Buhari, EFCC for any mayhem - PDP

Seriously worried by the continued incarceration of their spokesman, Chief Olisa Metuh, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that President Muhammadu Buhari and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should be held responsible in the event of any breakdown of law and order.
The party which warned that political crisis is looming over the continued detention of Metuh and other PDP leaders, stated that the president and the ruling party have unleashed their dictatorial personality on the members of the opposition, particularly, the PDP, saying it may lead to a breakdown of law and order.
In a statement by its National Legal Adviser, Barr. Victor Kwon, the PDP said President Buhari’s APC-led government action portrayed it as party that has not hidden its disdain for the rule of law and an appetite to gag the opposition.
It said the continued detention is in clear breach of Metuh’s constitutionally guaranteed liberty and fundamental rights.
“Our teeming members across the country have so far exercised reasonable restraint, but we caution that there is a limit to what they can stomach in the face of this brazen persecution of our spokesman. The President Buhari-led APC government and the EFCC should therefore hold themselves re-sponsible should there be any breakdown of law and order in the land over this matter,” Kwon said.
The party stressed that relying on a purported ‘holding charge’ said to have been de¬rived from a Magistrate to detain Chief Metuh beyond the statutory period allowed by the law is in total violation of the constitution and extant corresponding rulings by several trial and appellate courts in the country.
It said: “We draw the atten¬tion of all Nigerians and the international community to this illegal clamp-down on the opposition spokesman by the EFCC, using a purported hold¬ing charge said to have been de¬rived from a magistrate court.
“Holding Charge which im¬plies ‘arrest before investigation’ instead of ‘investigation before arrest’ is clearly an aberration and abuse of judicial process which has since been declared by several courts as illegal, null and void, and of no effect as it is totally in contradiction with section 35 (1), (4), (5a) of the constitution of the Federal Re¬public of Nigeria.
“The PDP is particularly worried that Chief Metuh, since his arrest on Tuesday, is being inhumanly kept in an un¬derground cell where he is daily threatened by officials, who we gathered, have been mounting pressure on him to accept guilt of fictitious figures and implicate PDP leaders.

“The public is very much aware that the EFCC Chairman has visited the Presidential Villa at least twice since Chief Metuh was arrested and detained by the commission, ostensibly, to get further directives on the case.”
PDP pointed out that Bu¬hari’s fight against corruption has turned to manhunt, add¬ing that, “we invite the world to note that President Buhari’s election promise of fight¬ing corruption has now been turned into a man-hunt of PDP leaders, while known corrupt APC leaders are being shielded by the system and rewarded with ministerial positions and other government appoint¬ments.
“Our nation is now being turned into a police state with its inherent constitutional vio¬lations and infringement on rights of citizens, a scenario which poses grave danger to national stability and survival of our democracy. Chief Olisa Metuh was arrested a few days after he confronted the Federal Government and the APC over their dictatorial pronounce¬ments and actions.
“Nigerians cannot afford to return to the era of dictator¬ship where constitutional pro¬visions, respect for lawful pro¬cesses and personal freedom of citizens under the law are trampled upon. Their response to this might come with very dire consequences. Enough is Enough.”