Nigeria Is Not A Fascist State – Ben Bruce

Senator Ben Bruce has condemned the alleged intimidation of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar by security agencies.

According to reports, a joint team of security personnel comprising of officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service and Department of State Services (DSS) searched the PDP candidate’s private jet, personal belongings and aircraft staff.

Atiku arrived Nigeria from Dubai in the early hours of Sunday, November 11, 2018.

The former Vice-President also confirmed the incident on Twitter saying “I arrived to Abuja this morning to a search by agents of the state, aimed at intimidating me and my staff.

“I am committed to building a Nigeria where no citizen is intimidated by agents of state who are paid to protect them. Together,#LetsGetNigeriaWorkingAgain.”

You will recall that the All Progressives Congress (APC), in a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, called on security agencies to probe Atiku’s trip to Dubai.

The PDP presidential candidate held ‘strategy meetings’ with some leaders of his party during his stay in Dubai.

Nabena also said security agencies need to check the illicit movement of cash by politicians ahead of the 2019 elections.

In his reaction on Twitter, Senator Bruce said “I totally condemn this reckless harassment of @atiku the candidate of the @OfficialPDPNig as he landed in Abuja. Nigeria is not a fascist state. We will not return to a jackboot dictatorship. This government should face Atiku at the polls, not with force.”

The former spokesman of the APC, Timi Frank also condemned the alleged intimidation of the PDP presidential candidate.

Frank said that the plan to plant incriminating evidence in Atiku’s jet failed, adding that the security team confessed that they were sent by the Presidency to embarrass the former VP.