By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
The Director-General, Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria (CJREN), Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Kawu Dikwa, has alleged security threat in campaign strategies by the ruling party (APC) in Borno State against the main opposition party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
A letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and made available to New Nigerian said, “We are drawing the attention of the Service Chiefs on the Borno State dirty campaign strategy by the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC). Is it the APC that has the only right to campaign at the IDP camps in the state. We visited about nine (9) local government areas and the PDP governorship candidate, Mohammed Ali Jajari was always intimidated and harassment in campaign process at IDP camps.
“It was observed that IDPs are brainwashed and being threatened that the PDP candidate is just a young man who doesnt know what he is doing, that if elected, he will steal the resources of the state for his personal gain. The IDPs were also told that if Mohammed Ali Jajari is elected a governor, Boko Haram will come back again to the state therefore destroying their lives and livelihood.”
The letter notified the National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party and the International Community to note that in Borno state, the campaign is one sided mainly to favour the ruling APC in the state, saying that the ruling party is not allowing a free playing ground for other political parties to campaign freely and tell the people what they want to do for the people if elected.
It also alleged, “The ruling APC is using the security apparatus in the state to harass the PDP and stop them from campaigning freely in the local governments. The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in particular is the arm of the security that is being used by the APC, also the APC posters that were being placed in wards and communities in the state are being controlled by this same CJTF which they don’t allow any other political party to placed their own posters, like the Federal High Court junction at Polo which the PDP supporters place their posters and were told to remove them and were paid by the APC leadership.”
It alleged that the reason is that the Governor was afraid of the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP who is loved and has the support of the people because of his good record to rule Borno and change the democratic atmosphere of the state for the interest of all.
It stated that during the PDP presidential campaign, it alleged that some hired youths attacked supporters of PDP and destroyed many cars and caused various degrees of injuries to many, adding that there are also restrictions on the state capital, Maiduguri, by the ruling APC party in the state.
The letter noted that the ruling party has recruited youths to monitor those who are supporters of the PDP or any other party in order to harass and intimidate them, alleging that most of the recruited youths are the Civilian JTF and the so-called repentant Boko Harams.
The letter is of the view that Governor Babagana Umara Zulum is using his executive powers to harass and intimidate the main opposition party with the support of Senator Kashim Shettima who is the Vice Presidential candidate of the ruling APC in the forthcoming elections.
It alleged that Governor Babagana Umara Zulum and Senator Kashim Shettima are anti-non indigenes and also anti-Christian with respect to issues that concern Christians and non indigenes in the state, stressing that there is an allegation against the Sen. Kashim Shettima the former Executive Governor of the state and his successor Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum is still in court, demolished properties worth millions of naira belonging to mostly Igbos who were in the state for more than 50 years conducting their businesses and when he came to power, he started destroying their hotels and Guest houses they built in various locations in the state.
The letter alleged that Sen. Kashim Shettima destroyed fourteen (14) Hotels and Guest Houses and Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum also demolished twenty two (22) Hotels and Guest houses, records of all these allegations are at hand with the letter responded to the victims of demolished hotel building in the state from Ministry of Justice dated 11th January, 2021, that they should provide their landed properties documents for compensation which they did but nothing was done till today.
It said that the governor, also disengaged over nine thousand teachers mostly southern Borno indigenes working in the state, they are also using some Christians who are also their loyalists against their fellow Christian brothers and sisters for their selfish gains, there was also allegation against Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum which he revoked a landed property of a former member Borno state House of Assembly by the then Governor Goni from 1979-1983 by name Hon. Mohammed D. Nangere representing Potiskum/Nangere constituency about five and half plots which the case was in the Borno State Police Command Headquarters. The letter was issued to the Borno State Geographic Information Service to produce the file for the plots of land for investigation but to no avail.
The letter explained that Gov. Zulum has turned to be a mad Gov. Tinubu/APC campaign gathering that took place on 18th February, 2023, in Maiduguri at sport centre it was a total deception of Zulum and Kashim. I was there live and I have interviewed over 74 people at the gathering and I have noticed that the Gov. Zulum and his Boss Kashim through their APC leaders from each LGAs forced masses used the castles, a bad situation on the masses to bring them to the venue. According to most of the people that I have interviewed, the leaders of the APC promised to give them the sum of # 2,000 some #3,000 and some # 5,000 but nothing has been given to them.
