Nigeria Content Online

The Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Bauchi State has called on the government
to immediately lift the dusk to dawn curfew imposed in the state,
threatening to break the law where necessary if the curfew is not
lifted.

The government
had, in the wake of the violence that followed the presidential
election, imposed the curfew in an attempt to restore peace to the
state. But opposition parties say the government is abusing the curfew.

Speaking to
reporters at a press briefing yesterday at the state Secretariat of the
NUJ, the Director-General of Baba Tela Gubernatorial Campaign
Organisation, Isa Matori, accused the government of using the curfew to
frustrate the opposition in the state.

“Having reviewed
the circumstances carefully, we call on authorities concerned to note
that calm has returned to Bauchi and the people are more circumspect
about actions that undermine peace and security,” he said.

“In view of this,
we urge that the curfew be lifted with immediate effect to allow for
voting without hindrance in a process that will go way into the night.
Maintenance of the curfew is a ploy by the PDP-led government to shut
people in their homes in order to manipulate the results of the
elections.”

‘Government is bias’

Mr Matori also accused the government of bias in its enforcement of the curfew.

“While the curfew
is still in place, the government is busy giving movement permit to its
PDP supporters to continue with their campaigns and consultations as
well as meetings but denying those of the opposition,” he said.

“If the curfew is
not lifted, we will ask our supporters to move freely and protect their
votes during the gubernatorial elections no matter what happens. We
will break the law if it becomes necessary to defend our right”

The opposition
politician condemned what he said was the indiscriminate arrests and
detention, as well as the alleged use of security agents in the state
to intimidate his candidate’s supporters.

“It is our belief
that the PDP-led government of Bauchi State is using security agencies
to scare other political parties and their supporters in order to have
their way in subsequent elections,” he said.

While condemning
the recent post-election violence in the state, which led to the loss
of lives and properties worth millions of Naira, Mr Matori called on
government to urgently compensate those affected and to also prevent a
recurrence.

He also called on the government to address poverty and unemployment
which, he said, are the bane of the teeming youth and the root cause of
their restiveness.