The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar has claimed the
Department of State Services (DSS) plans to arrest opposition parties regarding interim government claims.
The PDP candidate said that there were persons in the DSS planning to install an interim government.
This follows the agency’s Wednesday, March 29 statement released by its spokesman, Dr Peter Afunaya.
Afunaya had confirmed a plot by some members to install an interim government and stop the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu from being inaugurated on May 29.
The DSS had said the ploy included embarking on violent protests nationwide to fuel the declaration of a state of emergency as well as securing frivolous court injunctions to stall the inauguration.
Meanwhile, in a statement by his media aide, Timi Frank, Atiku alleged that the alarm of a plot to prevent Tinubu from being sworn in as president was a calculated move by the DSS.
The Former Vice President alleged the DSS planned to arrest the PDP presidential candidate and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and also to clamp down on protesters before May 29.
The statement read:
“The DSS’ purported intelligence is fake. It is a plot to crack down on protesters and arrest opposition political leaders before May 29. We have credible information that the DSS issued the statement in preparation for its planned disruption of ongoing protest by Nigerians who are demonstrating peacefully to demand justice and the restoration of their stolen mandate.
“Where was their intelligence when the Independent National Electoral Commission and Mahmood Yakubu were compromised to rig the 2023 general election?
“Nigerians have been under siege by bandits, kidnappers and terrorists for a long time now, but the DSS never gave intelligence to foil kidnapping, heinous attacks, maiming and killing of innocent Nigerians. The only time you see the DSS coming up to talk about intelligence is whenever Nigerians are preparing to either protest against obnoxious government policies, rules, human rights abuses or carrying out lawful political activities.
“The DSS must stop this method of intimidating Nigerians, especially politicians, whenever they want to exercise their constitutional rights. In fact, we dare the DSS or any other security outfit in the country to arrest Atiku and Obi before May 29 and see the wrath of Nigerians.”
