Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents the Kogi Central Senatorial District, has demanded the release of detained members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti, condemning what she described as political intimidation and a threat to democracy ahead of Saturday's governorship election. She made the call while addressing party supporters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
The senator urged the political parties to compete on the strength of their policies and ideas rather than through coercion. She argued that the contest for power should be decided by what candidates have to offer, not by efforts to silence or harass the opposition in the closing days of the campaign.
Among the grievances she raised was the claim that requests had been written to the authorities seeking permission to use certain facilities for the campaign, but that these requests were denied. She presented this as part of a pattern of obstacles placed in the way of the opposition as the vote drew near.
She further alleged that transportation had been grounded on the day of the gathering, which meant that many of the supporters who turned out had to make their way to the venue on foot. Despite this, she noted, a sizeable crowd still assembled to show their backing.
On reports that some supporters had been arrested or jailed, the senator said that if indeed that was the case, she would call on the government to release them. She stressed that she does not believe politics should be practised on the grounds of bitterness, insisting that intimidation has no place in a healthy democratic contest.
Looking ahead to the poll, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she trusts that the election scheduled for the twentieth of June will be free and credible. She set out her own vision of politics as one in which candidates campaign on well-articulated manifestos and allow the public to connect with their ideals and philosophies, rather than being swayed by force or fear.