Democracy sliding under Buhari, PDP insists

The Peoples Democratic Party says no amount of

blackmail by the All Progressives Congress will

deter it from exposing what it described as the

deliberate agenda of the Muhammadu Buhari

administration to destroy the nation’s democracy.

The party said by resorting to insults, threats and

personal attacks on its leaders, instead of

responding to issues of emerging fascism raised by

the PDP on Saturday, the APC and the Federal

Government further confirmed their intolerance,

disdain for democracy and appetite for

totalitarianism.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa

Metuh, stated this in a statement he issued in

Abuja on Sunday.

He said Nigerians await answers to issues and would

not be hoodwinked by the antics of APC’s

spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, “whose

cleverness in using insults, personal attacks and

wild allegations to divert attention is well known.”

Metuh said, “While we understand the nervousness

of Mohammed to remain relevant, especially in the

face of desperation for an appointment, this

administration must come to terms with the fact

that democracy requires accountability, adherence

to the rule of law and constitutional order, and not

the crass infractions, executive arrogance,

intolerance and undermining of the legislature; the

symbol of the sovereignty of the people that we

now witness under the APC.

“The question is, has the President Muhammadu

Buhari-led APC government not exhibited all the

trappings of despotism, including ruling without a

constitutional component of a cabinet; persistent

abuse of power; corrupting of democratic

institutions; quest to appropriate the National

Assembly in spite of the principle of separation of

powers; invasion of state government and personal

houses; injecting confusion into the judiciary and

hounding of individuals perceived to be against its

interests?

“What is the APC’s position regarding the anti-

democratic statement by the President, who, in an

interview, during the recent visit to France,

expressed his reluctance to appoint ministers, in

addition to his disparaging allusion to cabinet

ministers as noise makers? Does this not smack of

totalitarianism?

“How else can one explain the relentless

interferences in the activities of the National

Assembly, a separate and independent arm of

government, in addition to the bitterness with

which the Presidency and the APC hold the duly

elected leadership of the Senate, simply because it

is not occupied by their preferred candidates?”

Metuh wondered that if not for a possible ulterior

motive of appropriating the federal legislature as

a means to undermine its statutory role of checks

and balances and set the stage for dictatorship,

“what other reasons could there be for the current

fixation on the leadership of the Senate by the

APC and the Presidency?”

He added that ,“Nigerians are still waiting for the

APC, a party which prides itself as a progressive

platform, to respond to the widely-condemned

invasion of the Akwa-Ibom State government house

by the Department of State Services, under the

direct instructions of the Presidency. Is it not part

of the plot activated for possible forceful takeover

of PDP states and impose a one-party regime on

Nigeria?”

Metuh asked whether the PDP was not justified

when it described as a mockery of reasoning,

“President Buhari’s use of choice words to condemn

the coup in Burkina Faso while he alleged that the

President’s government engages in brazen

contravention of Nigeria’s constitution.

“Whilst we note the failed efforts of the APC

spokesman to divert attention, we invite the

Presidency and the APC to be informed that their

attempt to harass and/or intimidate us with

plethora of well instigated, sponsored, immature

and wild allegations can never deter us from

remaining focused on issues,” Metuh added.