June 12: Stop violating tenets of democracy, PDP tells Buhari, APC

*Demands electoral reforms, rejig of security architecture

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

As the nation marks the June 12 democracy day, the leading opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of violating tenets of democracy in the past five years of their administration.

The party described the Buhari administration as been hypocritical in declaring June 12 as democracy day but continue unabatedly to desecrate principles of democracy which June 12 and all matyrs of democracy such as the late Chief MKO Abiola stood for.

The PDP was heavily saddened that the nation is currently presided over by persons whose actions showed that they do not believe in, or have any regard for democracy adding that such persons have “emasculated democratic principles and desecrated all that MKO Abiola stood for, fought for, and eventually died for”.

Addressing a press conference on the state of the nation in commemoration of the June 12 democracy day in Abuja on Thursday, national publicity secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan said situation of things in the country today calls for sober reflection.

Noting that President Buhari and APC came to power in 2015 as a result of electoral reform carried out by PDP administration, the party also regretted that the Buhari Presidency and the APC have continued to suppress every genuine effort for reforms that will improve the electoral processes.

“Sadly, Mr. President have frustrated every move to ensure more credible election, particularly by refusing to sign the Electoral Act Amendment bill sent to him by the NASS.

“In the last five years, our democracy has been under siege and witnessed the worst forms of violations in our political history”, said the party.

Some of the democracy infractions witnessed under President Buhari’s government as listed by the PDP include; electoral malpractices at the highest level, political intolerance, violence and vicious propaganda, violation of constitutional provisions and total disregard for the principle of federal character and democratic sensibilities of Nigerians.

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Other odious infractions listed are; violation of constitutional principle of separation of powers through brazen invasion, intimidation, coercion and arm-twisting of judiciary and legislative arms, financial recklessness and unaccountability, harassment and hounding of the opposition, disobedience of court orders and abuse of constitutionally guaranteed human rights and personal liberty of citizens.

The party said “the nepotism in appointments, divisive body language associated with this administration as well as the failure to reduce or quell the various challenges that are threatening our peaceful corporate existence have put our nation on a dire strait.

“This is not the democracy Nigerians worked hard for and for which MKO Abiola paid the supreme price.

“The situation has foisted a siege mentality on the citizenry to the extent that many compatriots now resort to suicide and slavery mission abroad as options”

The PDP, therefore, called on the Buhari Presidency and the APC to note that Nigeria is not under a military dictatorship but a democratic state and as such should stop forthwith, the violation of democratic tenets.

Asking President Buhari to immediately take steps that will restore faith and hope in Nigerians, the party said “he can do this by taking actions that reflect the motto of the Nigerian coat of arm by being just, engendering unity and stimulating an atmosphere of peace as well as national progress.

“Most importantly, our party, on behalf of Nigerians, demands that President Buhari should use the last three years of his final tenure in office to restore the credibility of elections in our country.

“Our Party therefore, demands that President Buhari speaks to the issue of amendment to the Electoral Act in his June 12 address and to within the next 14 days, initiate the process of returning the Electoral Act Amendment bill to the National Assembly, with a strong commitment to sign it into law immediately it is passed by the legislature.

“Our party holds that it behooves on President Buhari to initiate an electoral reform process immediately, even if that will be the only legacy that posterity will record for him in his 8 years in office.

“Any failure to initiate an electoral reform will amount to a deliberate plot by the APC to kill our hard earned democracy and return our nation to a state of nature where the will of any individual, supported by bandits and vagabonds will become the norm”.