Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the present system of government being run by President Muhammadu Buhari as despotic democracy.
To this end, the party said it takes serious exception to the system, which it said was introduced by Buhari and being promoted by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The zonal Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the South West, Ayo Fadaka, said in a statement issued in Akure that the APC-led Federal Government was plotting evils for the country.
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Reacting to the Tuesday’s police action against the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, the PDP leader said the police action against the Senate president and his Deputy, Ike Ekeremadu, was an abuse of fundamental human rights of the duo.
Describing the action as an abuse of power privileges, Fadaka said: “No excuse or reason can justify the prosecution of this cheap and pedestrian action, these gentlemen are no criminals that should be hounded by the police that should devote their time to ridding our nation of the many criminal elements that torture the citizenry daily.
“We also know that the police invitation to Saraki is in furtherance of the attempt to rope him into the now famous Offa robbery, but President Buhari and his handlers should know that irrespective of concoctions in this regard, the eminent and illustrious background of Saraki will never make them to stick.
“However, this smokescreen is to hound him because of the obvious fact that 15 senators have abandoned the sinking APC ship for the PDP. The choice of political party is an inalienable right of every citizen and no power can hold those who have chosen to leave, back in the APC.
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“President Buhari must also realise he has since dropped his beret and jackboots, therefore, only persuasion and sincerity of purpose is required to populate any party.
“We, however, wish to congratulate the 15 senators for taking the bold step to dump a party that exhibits absolute intolerance, incoherence and incompetence in the administration of our nation.
“Nigeria today is tottering dangerously on a precipice on account of these factors, a nation that was enjoying near absolute peace in 2015 is experiencing mayhem of differing proportions across board. The APC administration of President Buhari has sentenced over 83 percent of our population to penury and life has become so unbearable.
“Nigerians today need a new lease of life and therefore, we call on many still hibernating in APC to bolt out of the party now reputed for its failed promises, deceit and incompetence.
“We wish to point out that there exists a great danger to our democracy and this is apparent by the many attacks on perceived opponents or enemies of the Buhari administration, democracy is not the same with despotism, the constitution must be respected and also institutions like the National Assembly and judiciary too must equally be respected.
“If truly this action against Saraki and Ekeremadu is being taken to forestall a sitting of the Senate with a view to preventing scores of APC senators from decamping, it is pedestrian and disappointing.
President Goodluck Jonathan experienced similar actions in 2013 and exhibited maturity by taking all in his strides, President Buhari should just follow his worthy example.
“We also call on democrats within the APC to advice the president on what his response to this kind of developments should be, in this regard, we implore APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu, and even the flippant Adams Oshimhole, their national chairman to initiate actions that will arrest this kind of odious developments capable of derailing our democracy,” he said.