PDP accused government of Gestapo-style harassment of Atiku as his bags are searched at Abuja airport

NIGERIA'S main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the recent searching of its presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by security operatives as he landed in Abuja from Dubai yesterday morning.

Over the last few weeks, Alhaji Abubakar has been in Dubai where he has been holding meetings with senior PDP members, putting together their plans for next February's elections. yesterday, Alhaji Abubakar arrived back in Nigeria but was greeted at the airport by security officials, who gave him a thorough search.

Responding to the action, Alhaji Abubakar said that the exercise was meant to intimidate him and his staff. His party, the PDP alleged that the Gestapo-style attack was carried out on orders from above.

A party spokesman said:  “We condemn in the strongest terms the unleashing of a special security squad of army, police and paramilitary agencies by the Muhammadu Buhari presidency to physically harass our presidential candidate. These agents rushed our candidate and attempted to physically manhandle him before invading his aircraft with dangerous weapons to conduct a violent search.”

According to the PDP,  the search did not turn up anything incriminating but that the agents tampered with Alhaji Abubakar’s belongings including campaign documents. Alhaji Abubakar earlier voiced concern about tensions surrounding the presidential campaign, saying that his rival was uncompromising and power drunk.

However, aviation minister Hadi Sirika, described the incident as routine, saying that the process applied to all international arrivals. He added: “While it is true that the Task Force on Currency at the airport did the routine action of checking the former vice president’s travel bag, he was accorded full respect as a senior citizen.”