...as Secondus alleges
opposition clampdown, human rights abuses
The Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) has alerted the international community, particularly the President
of the United States of America, President Donald Trump, alleging that Nigeria
is on the brink due to the undemocratic policies and actions of President Muhammadu
Buhari.
In an agenda setting
move ahead of tomorrow’s crucial meeting between the Trump and Buhari, the PDP
said the Nigerian leader should be made to explain actions of his
administration, which it said had eroded constitutionally guaranteed rights of
citizens while foisting a siege mentality on the people.
Addressing a press
conference Saturday in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola
Ologbondiyan, said that Nigeria was on the brink as a result of undemocratic
actions of the Buhari administration of the All Progressives Congress.
“We have called you
here to alert the entire world, particularly the United States that our nation
is now on the brink. Nigeria is facing a perilous time; our Constitution has
been technically suspended; we have now become a Police state; governance has
reverted to the nightmares of the 1984 era, when draconian leaders held sway
and forcefully held our people under the grips of military Decree 2,” it said.
The US President is
scheduled to meet his Nigerian counterpart tomorrow in what many see as very
critical to addressing Nigeria’s economic and insecurity challenges.
But the PDP described
the visit of Buhari to America, regarded as the home of democracy, as ironic,
saying back home his administration had been accused of several violations of
the Constitution and human rights of citizens.
The PDP urged Trump to
stand up for democracy and take Buhari to task on constitutional and human
rights violations in Nigeria under his watch, as already detailed in the report
by the US Department of State.
The party said the
report on human rights violation in Nigeria also confirmed cases of
harassments, persecution of opposition, arrests, detention and extra-judicial
killings under Buhari’s administration.
It also cited the case
of the ‘Bring Back our Girls’ organization that freely protested unmolested in
2014 and 2015 but are now being hounded and manhandled wherever they dare to
come to out on a peaceful protest.
It said, “Indeed, the
height of human rights abuse being witnessed in our country today is the worst
in our national contemporary history.
“You will recall that
the 2017/2018 Amnesty International (AI) Human Rights Report confirmed cases of
extreme human right violations under the Buhari administration, including
extra-judicial execution, forceful crackdown on peaceful protesters as
particularly witnessed in the South-east between September 2017 and January
2018 as well as torture and killings in custody. Many arrested protesters are
still in detention without trial.
The PDP said democratic
institutions, particularly the legislature, judiciary and even the media were
being decapitated by dictatorial forces who were encouraged by the agents of
the state at the center.
It recounted the
incident of April 18, 2018, when it said a barefaced attempt was made to shut
down the National Assembly following lawmakers’ insistence on following due
process in governance.
The party highlighted
political opponent it said were being molested to include Senate President
Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and Senators Aliyu
Wamakko, Rabiu Kwankwaso, David Mark, Dino Melaye, Albert Akpan, Godswill
Akpabio and Danjuma Goje.
Others, it said,
include Senator Peter Nwaboshi, Isah Misau and Shehu Sani as well as former
governors Sule Lamido, Ibrahim Shema, Meanwhile, the party’s National Chairman,
Prince Uche Secondus has said Buhari had gone to the US to shore up his already
damaged image.
Secondus said in a
statement by Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Ike Abonyi that it had become
dangerous and risky to hold views that are at variance with ruling
establishment.
“He has left his
country in a Police state as he travelled to US on image laundry. Legislators
are not safe, judges are living and working in fear, media are being harassed,
security agencies have all become tools of oppression for government,
dictator,” he said.
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