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Charges Nigerians to Resist APC’s One-Party Regime
- Safiu Kehinde
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged President Bola Tinubu to respect the memory of late Nigerian businessman and politician, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, as well as the sovereignty of Nigerians.
PDP gave the charge in a statement issued on Thursday in commemoration of the June 12 Democracy Day.
The Democracy Day celebration is held annually in remembrance of the annulled election of June 12,1993 won by MKO Abiola.
Reflecting on the event, the PDP maintained that June 12 embodied Nigerians struggle against oppressive, impunity-driving lawless society and anti-people tendencies.
This according to the opposition party is currently witnessed under the APC-led administration.
“June 12 Democracy Day therefore embodies the struggle by Nigerians against an oppressive, despotic and lawless system driven by impunity, high level deception and reckless anti-people tendencies as being witnessed under the APC administration.
“It also represents the insistence by Nigerians for a system that is accountable to the people, operates on the Rule of Law and democratic principles of freedom, justice, fairness, equity, credible elections, national cohesion, transparency and accountability in government which Chief MKO Abiola personified and died for.” the statement partly read.
The PDP held that the democratic values Nigerians enjoyed under its administration have eluded the nation since the coming of the APC which it described as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) masquerading as political party.
PDP thereafter demanded that the APC administration respect the memory of MKO Abiola and the law and sovereignty of Nigerians.
“The PDP therefore demands that the APC administration respects the memory of Chief Abiola, the law and sovereignty of the Nigerian people by adhering to the Principle of Separation of Powers, end the intrusion in the activities of the National Assembly and other Democracy Institutions, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Judiciary, allow for a free press, commit to credible elections, be truthful, transparent and review all its poverty weaponizing policies.
“Against this backdrop, our Party demands that the National Assembly, the Judiciary and INEC assert their Constitutional Independence and operate only on the basis of the Rule of Law and the collective interest of the people in the promotion of the tenets of democracy.” the statement read further.
Prior to the charge, the PDP called on Nigerians to resist APC’s one-party regime as it accused the ruling party of using compromised state apparatus of powers and control to violate the Constitution, emasculate opposition, defy and abridge the liberty of the citizens to freely elect their leaders amongst others.
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) calls on Nigerians to use the occasion of the June 12 Democracy Day to re-awaken and strengthen their resistance to the anti-democratic designs of the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly the plot to foist a despotic One-Party regime in Nigeria.
“The PDP urges Nigerians, Institutions of Democracy, Organized Civil Society, Development Partners and indeed all lovers of democracy to unite in speaking out against the stifling of democratic tenets of justice, the Rule of Law, free, fair, peaceful credible electoral process and the right of citizens particularly to freely participate in politics and governance in Nigeria.
“The PDP is alarmed by the anti-democratic actions of the APC government which continues to use compromised state apparatus of powers and control to brazenly violate the Constitution, emasculate opposition, defy and abridge the liberty of the citizens to freely elect their leaders, corrupt and manipulate Institutions of Democracy, asphyxiate the media and weaponize poverty, all in the attempt to impose a defeatist mentality on the people and turn our nation into a fiefdom and personal estate of few individuals in power. the PDP stated.
It further accused the APC administration of unaccountability and conversion of the National Assembly into rubber stamp to allegedly clear the path for a totalitarian system of government.
The PDP defended its claims with the 2024 Edo state governorship election and the declaration of state of emergency in Rivers.
“More distressing is that the APC-led Presidency has remained unaccountable while colluding with the corrupt, rubber stamp APC leadership in the National Assembly and certain compromised Judicial officers at very high places to undermine the sovereignty of the people ostensibly to clear the path for a totalitarian system in our country.
“The brazen resort to State Capture as exemplified in the subversion of the Will of the people in the 2024 Edo State Governorship election, the widely condemned overthrow of a democratically elected government and imposition of a Sole Administrator in Rivers State in blatant violation of the clear provisions of the 1999 Constitution among other Constitutional infractions signpost a clear and present danger to our democracy.” The statement added.