Nigeria’s leading civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), on Friday, slammed the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, for asking the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest the flag bearer of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed for allegedly ‘riling up’ their supporters popularly known as ‘Obidients’.
HURIWA also called for an investigation by the National Judicial Council to be led by the next in line to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the circumstances surrounding the sighting of the Chief Justice of Nigeria Olukayode Ariwoola in a wheelchair in the UK at the same time that the controversially returned President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu jetted off to France in what some persons alleged to be a plot for the duo to meet over the pending election petition filed by Peter Obi of Labour party and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.
HURIWA wondered how the newly appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria suddenly started using a wheelchair like he is infirm or too sick to head the judiciary and his mission to London which is only about 45 minutes of a train ride to Paris from the Pancrass International train station in London.
The rights group, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, alleged that the leadership of the judiciary has had many controversial public outings dubbed to be politically tainted which the office of the CJN had denied.
Onwubiko slammed the spokesman for Bola Tinubu Campaign Council, saying he should have been sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari when he was appointed as Tinubu campaigner even as a minister.
The group said Nigeria will be thrown into unprecedented unrest if the secret police dare lay their hands on Obi and Baba-Ahmed.
HURIWA also said the APC and its candidate should not think that they have the DSS in their pocket, noting that all actions needed to be taken in and outside Nigeria will be legally taken to force the unconstitutional actions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the entire government of President Muhammadu Buhari who saw power as a reward for the former Lagos governor who was said to have installed him in office in 2015.
HURIWA again lambasted Keyamo for saying the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal will clear Tinubu of all allegations brought against him by Obi and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) even when the tribunal has yet to fully begin the case.
Keyamo had on Thursday petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) to invite the LP leaders over their rejection of the declaration of Bola Tinubu as the President-elect and their pursuit of justice at the courts.
