The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the furious invasion of the
sanctity of the Federal High Court by the Department of State Services
(DSS) further confirms that Nigeria, under the Buhari Presidency, is
finally sliding into a frightening dictatorship.
The party alerts that the invasion of the court is a vindication of its
earlier stand that the nation is no longer governed by democratic
principles of rule or law and dictates of the constitution.
Today, the world watched with shock as operatives of the
Presidency-controlled DSS, in a most horrific manner, swooped on the
court, held the judiciary to ransom, disrupted proceedings, scared away
the judge, chased away lawyers and journalists, attacked and re-arrested
persons standing trial within the precincts of the court, in a manner
that can only be obtainable in Idi Amin’s Uganda.
The invasion is in a forceful suspension of our constitutional order and
a further battering of the judiciary, which points to an emerging
lawlessness that can only find space in a military regime.
Without prejudice to the charge against the Convener of the “Revolution
Now” movement, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, the PDP holds that, in a normal
democracy, it is the duty of the court to determine the fate of an
accused, according to the laws and not a resort to brute force by the
government to silence persons with dissenting voices.
Our party notes that such a violation, as embarrassingly witnessed in
the Abuja court this weekend, is a direct invitation to anarchy and a
huge threat to the unity, peace, stability and corporate existence of
our nation and the safety of our citizens.
Indeed, this is not the Nigeria our citizens yearn for and it is
imperative to restate that Nigeria, under the Buhari Presidency, is fast
sliding into a dark country where, laws are suspended, the judiciary is
assaulted and citizens are stripped of their fundamental rights.
The PDP calls on well meaning Nigerians and the international community
to call the Buhari Presidency to order before its actions derail our
nation and trigger a breakdown of law and order in the land.
The international community must have more than a passing glance at the
situation in Nigeria as any crisis in our country, God forbid, given our
population, is capable of having a negative spill over effect across the
African continent and other parts of the world.
The PDP urges Nigerians across board, irrespective of political,
religious and ethnic learnings, to unite in condemnation of dictatorial
tendencies of the present administration and in defending our democracy
and unity as a nation.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary