The Peoples Democratic Party Campaign Organisation (PDPCO) has alleged a plan by the presidency to frame opposition members of the National Assembly believed to have embarrassed President Muhammadu Buhari during last week’s budget presentation.
Part of the plot, according to the campaign council, is to unleash the anti-corruption agencies and the Nigeria Police to intimidate and arrest them on trump-up charges.
Spokesperson of the PDPCO, Alhaji Buba Galadima, at a press conference yesterday, disclosed that some persons close to the presidency were meeting and compiling names of those who supposedly booed the president.
He warned that such was contrary to parliamentary immunity, noting that legislators were protected by whatever action or statement they made on the floor of the National Assembly.
“In fact, they cannot even be tried in the court of law for what they say in the National Assembly Chambers. They can’t arrest any parliamentarian for booing the president on what he thinks is correct.
“They should be careful with what they are trying to do, because what they are planning to do, whether the president knows or he doesn’t know, will affect the 2019 general elections,” he warned.
On the contributions made by the Farmers’ Association of Nigeria to President Buhari’s campaign, Alhaji Galadima described it as unlawful, and cannot be justified in any court of law.
“If it is true, this is against the Electoral Act, because in the Electoral Act, whoever does business with government cannot contribute to the election of that government. It is against the law.
“Those who made that contribution and those who received the contribution should be called to book and be arraigned before the appropriate court of law.
“I am a farmer, one of the largest farmers in Nigeria. Around me are also farmers with large investment. We have never sat down as members of Farmers Association of Nigeria and taken a decision that we are supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s candidature for a second-term in office,” he said.
Galadima also called for the disqualification of President Buhari as a candidate for the 2019 presidential elections.