Nde Wadak mourns the demise of PDP members, bemoans kidnapping of DPO, says incidents are threat to democracy

By: Oliver Kum, January 16, 2023

Nde Isaac Wadak

A staunch member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State Nde Isaac Wadak has described the death of 13 PDP members in a truck accident and the kidnapping of DPO Pankshin Division as two fatalities with tendency to impediment to our democracy.

Recall that the victims in that accident were returning from the PDP flag off and zonal rally held at Pankshin on Saturday when their truck crashed on a slope between Pushit and the Panyam bridge in Mangu Local Government Area.

The DPO on the other hand, is the DPO of Pankshin Division, SP Nwapi Augustus who was kidnapped on Thursday, January 12th, 2023 at a Hotel in Pankshin but was said to be rescued by hunters on Sunday 15th January 2023

While commiserating with the families of the deceased, Wadak said, "My heart is saddened by this loss. I know they meant the world not only to their families but to the PDP family and so many others too.

"Their memory will forever live in our heart. As a party, we will never forget their commitment, sacrifices and the joy they brought to us".

He posited that though the incident has the tendency of discouraging further mass engagement and participation in democratic activities which is the whole mark of democracy, Wadak however, urged the PDP family to be propelled by the unfortunate incident and be circumspect in future logistic arrangements for our teeming supporters in order to raise the tempo of the campaign activities toward ensuring victory at polls so that the demise of the party members would have not been in vain.

On the kidnapping of the DPO, Wadak observed with regrets that frequent acts of violent crime have grown to form a major threat to Nigeria's national security saying that kidnapping in particular has become the most pervasive and intractable violent crime in the country and was threatening our democracy.

He said: “Democracy is being threatened in Nigeria. When insecurity pervades a system or undertakes a place nothing works there including democracy. So democracy is threatened.”

Wadak

Nde Wadak further observed with total dismay that insecurity in Nigeria has risen to a level that citizens now depend on non-state actors for their security.

The PDP stalwart said the development became more worrisome considering the fact that the general elections is less than five weeks and those saddled with the responsible of providing security during the excercise are vulnerable to the menace of insecurity.

He called on the federal government to take drastic action on the security situation before the elections.