PDP Governors’ Forum Calls for Fair Trial of Arrested Protesters, Criticizes Federal Government’s Blackmail
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has urged the Federal Government to ensure a fair and speedy trial of the arrested #EndBadGovernance protesters. The forum made the call in a communique released after its fourth meeting of 2024, held on Friday at the Government House in Jalingo, Taraba State.
The communique, signed by the forum’s chairman, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, expressed relief over the resolution of the #EndBadGovernance protests, which were held between August 1 and 10 in parts of the country. The governors also affirmed citizens’ right to peaceful protests and commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives during the protests.
The forum criticized the Federal Government for allegedly using blackmail instead of addressing key issues and urged President Bola Tinubu to avoid blame games. The governors also declared support for Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and called for a review of the party congress outcome to restore his leadership role.
The communique added that the forum laments the Federal Government’s failure to undertake a review of macro-economic and social policies with a view to giving them a human face. Instead, the government has resorted to blackmail, which the forum urged President Tinubu to restrain.
The PDP Governors’ Forum also noted the political impasse in Rivers State, where court judgments are being used to determine the outcome of party congresses. The forum restated its stand with the Governor of Rivers State and vowed to engage the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to revisit the congress and correct the anomaly.
Furthermore, the forum urged clearer distinction and transparency in revenue management by the Federal Government and called for separating the roles of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Accountant General of the Federal Government.
The PDP Governors’ Forum’s call for a fair trial of the arrested protesters and its criticism of the Federal Government’s handling of the situation is a significant development in the ongoing political crisis in Nigeria. The forum’s stance is likely to be closely watched by both the government and the opposition, as the country continues to grapple with issues of governance and accountability.
