The Peoples’ Democratic Party has alleged that the life of the Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, was under threat as operatives of Department of State Services are planning to kidnap him.

The party, in Abuja on Friday, alleged further that recent administrative whims by the DSS under the saddle of Mr. Lawan Daura was symptomatic of the era of a former Director General of the defunct National Security Organization,  Lawal Rafindadi, who served in a similar jurisdiction under during President Muhammadu Buhari stewardship as military Head of State.

‎Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, made this inflammatory allegation known when the Governor of Bayelsa State; Mr. Seriake Dickson paid a visit to the party’s national secretariat to submit his governorship nomination form.

Gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States have been fixed for November 21 and December 5 respectively by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Prince Secondus alleged further that operatives of the DSS on Friday invaded the Government House in Akwa Ibom State, claiming that it was a premeditated guise to kidnap the governor.

He, therefore, accused the DSS of attempt to execute what he called “a civilian coup d’état in the state,” adding that the security operatives reportedly combed the entire Government House in search of the governor.

He asked the international community to “intervene because the action of the DSS was influenced by a plot by the All Progressives Congress-led government to forcefully take away PDP controlled states of Abia, Delta, Taraba, Rivers and Akwa Ibom at all cost.

“‎Let me alert this nation that there was a civilian coup d’état in Akwa-Ibom State where the Department of State Security, headed by Lawan Daura, invaded the Government House in Akwa-Ibom, ransacked the entire Government House, looking for the governor (Udom Emmanuel) to kidnap. 

“we want to alert this nation that this is part of the strategy of APC and its Federal Government to forcefully take Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Abia and Taraba States by force because they are not satisfied with the control of the Federal Government.

“They still want to takeover by force all the states controlled by PDP. This nation belongs to all, to both PDP and APC, a situation where, consistently, the DSS has assaulted states controlled by PDP, the international community should be aware of what is going on. Is this democracy? Is this how PDP ruled in 16 years?”

“We want to advise and point out to the President that we will not tolerate this anti-democratic arrangement by APC and DSS because it will be a reincarnation of Rafindadi days when he was in charge of SSS.

“This is exactly the format. Daura is a reincarnation of Rafindadi. And Nigerians are not ready for what happened 30 years.

“This is a clear warning that they should desist from taking laws into their hands.”

Dickson has, however, said there is no rift between him and the former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, insisting that the former first lady is in the fore front in his bid for re-election.

He said,”As a rule, I do not want to be talking about my elder bother’s wife. There is no rift between us and she is campaigning everywhere for my re-election.

“I am here to submit my nomination form. You have seen my supporters from all parts of the state.”