The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has given detailed reasons why
President Muhammadu Buhari did the wrong thing and should be punished
for collecting alleged money and SUVs from Sambo Dasuki, former national
security adviser, instead of that of the secretary to the government of
the federation as compensation for the attack on his convoy.
Although Buhari had debunked allegation that he received $300,000 and up to five armoured SUVs from Dasuki,
saying he only collected two SUVs. But Olisa Metuh, spokesman of the
PDP, has rubbished the claim of the president and said there was need
for a neutral body to be involved in the anti-corruption campaign of the
current administration. Metuh also said his party can prove that
proceeds of corruption were used to fund the presidential campaign of
the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The denial by President Muhammadu Buhari on the alleged
benefiting from funds relating to the arms deal scandal, and the
consequent controversy trailing it underscores the need for a more
neutral and transparent body like an independent National Truth
Commission to examine all issues relating to handling of security votes
and campaign funding without interferences from the government,” he said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
“The leak that President Buhari benefited from the office of
the former national security adviser against the convention of dealing
with the office of the SGF also stresses the fact that the war against
corruption should be holistic, transparent and not politicised.
“We challenge this administration to a no-holds-barred public
inquisition on all issues of security votes and campaign expenses. This
is more so as we have evidence that President Buhari and the APC
budgeted and spent billions of naira corruptly sourced for their
presidential campaign, in addition to on-going sleazes in the system
under the APC government.”
He accused Buhari of using the federal government and the judiciary
to harrass and takeover states controlled by the opposition but
expressed optimism that the party will not be chicken out in the fight
for the soul of Nigeria.
“This current orchestrated and selective war against corruption
should not be an excuse to justify the onslaught by the government
against democratic institutions, especially the judiciary, wherein
judicial officers are now being hounded and coerced in the desperation
to take over key PDP states of Akwa-Ibom, Taraba and Rivers.
“Today’s court of appeal rulings against Rivers State Governor
Nyesom Wike and our federal legislators are clear fall-out of president
Buhari-led government’s muzzling of a session of the judiciary, a
development that portends grave danger to our democracy and the much
desired peace and stability in the volatile region of the Niger Delta,
especially coming on the heels of APC induced violence that led to the
inconclusiveness of the Bayelsa state governorship election.
“We are very worried that our country, now under the command of
President Buhari, is gradually sliding into a police state with
observed bloodthirsty tendencies by obviously compromised security
operatives for which the citizens now live in fear.
“For instance, how can this government explain its indifference
to the recent senseless bloodletting in Zaria, Kaduna state where the
military clashed with an Islamic group resulting in loss of lives, as
well as the mindless attack and killing of some unarmed protesters in
Onitsha, Anambra state by security agents?
“Also embarrassing to democracy is the flouting of judicial
pronouncements, the growing erosion of personal freedom, violation of
fundamental rights of citizens and brutal manhandling of suspects facing
various trials, as amply evidenced by the case of the former Director
General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency
(NIMASA), Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, who, while on bail was openly beaten
by security operatives.
“We note that these developments are in direct contrast to
democratic environment created by the PDP in the last 16 years where the
rule of law and freedom of citizens were allowed to reign.
“Of utmost concern is the unprecedented and frightening
polarization of the country coming as direct consequence of the
undemocratic tendencies of the Buhari administration. In the last seven
months of this dictatorial and divisive regime, there has been an
alarming escalation of inter-and intra religious and ethnic hostilities
that clearly threaten national cohesion and stability.
“We therefore caution this government to come to terms with the
fact that this nation cannot afford to contain, at this time, undue and
avoidable pressure coming ceaselessly from its totalitarian tendencies
and actions.”
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