Sharia Court Sentences PDP Official Without Due Process, Party Alleges Political Bias
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kebbi State has launched a strong protest against the recent sentencing of its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sani Dododo, by a Sharia Court in Birnin-Kebbi, alleging the judgment was handed down without due legal process and motivated by partisan interests.
At a press conference held at the PDP Secretariat in Birnin-Kebbi, party leaders described the ruling as a direct attack on political freedom and a calculated move by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration to muzzle the opposition.
State PDP Chairman, Alhaji Usman Suru, condemned the court’s decision, stating that Dododo had merely voiced the party’s position during a public radio broadcast.
“Alhaji Dododo was exercising his official duty as the party’s spokesperson. He was not speaking in a personal capacity. He articulated our collective view on what we see as reckless, wasteful, and misguided governance under Governor Nasir Idris,” Suru said.
The PDP leadership further alleged that the judiciary and other key institutions in the state have been compromised to serve partisan political goals. Suru called the court’s action “a targeted attempt to criminalize dissent and silence voices of accountability.”
In response to the accusations, the Kebbi State Government denied any interference in the case. Speaking to reporters, the Governor’s Press Secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, said the administration had no hand in the legal matter.
“We categorically deny any involvement in the judiciary’s actions. Governor Idris is a democrat committed to the rule of law and fair governance,” he stated.
The case has sparked concerns among civil society groups and political watchers, who warn that using the judiciary to suppress opposition could undermine democratic norms in the state.
