By Daniel Kanu
Following Tuesday’s invasion of the National Assembly by officers of the Department of State Security (DSS), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the “National Assembly to immediately pull the full weight of all legislative instruments against President Muhammadu Buhari,” insisting that is the only way to save Nigeria from alleged imminent collapse.
The opposition party also insisted, despite the immediate sack of the DSS DG, Lawan Daura, that the invasion “was with the absolute knowledge and approval of President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Osinbajo, and the All Progressives Congress (APC),” adding that Daura’s sack was an afterthought, diversionary and deceitful.
Assembly and block lawmakers from accessing the legislative chambers, “President Buhari has crossed the line by placing our democracy in jeopardy, thus setting our nation on the path of anarchy.”
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, which was made available to TheNiche said:
“The invasion our highest legislative institution by agents of the Buhari-led executive, a few months after the Senate mace was brazingly carted away by armed hoodlums, is condemnable, reprehensible, unpardonable, and completely unacceptable.
“With this siege, barely a week after presiding officers of the Senate were held hostage at their residences, it has become clear that the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) intend to forcefully overrun and ultimately shutdown the highest lawmaking organ of the Nigerian government and pave the way for the total suspension of constitutional rule in the country.
“The PDP notes in this administration’s quest to foist a fascist regime on our country, the APC-led government has taken several steps and actions tending towards the suspension of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), including direct usurpation of the duties and powers of the National Assembly and the judiciary in governance.
“Nigerians and the international community will recall that the PDP had earlier alerted of this plot, which included the phony medical trip to London for President Buhari as an alibi to exonerate him from any blame for this sordid assaults on democracy.
“The PDP, therefore, calls on the Government of Britain to support Nigeria at this perilous time by not shielding President Buhari in London. Nigerians urge the British government and other members of the international community to immediately condemn and totally reject the ugly developments in our country.
“President Buhari and his APC have consecutively and deliberately put our nation and its democracy on harm’s way and the National Assembly, as representatives of the people, must eschew all partisan interests and save the nation by immediately deploying all legislative instruments against President Buhari before it is too late.
“It is instructive to state that if today’s assault on our legislature had succeeded, it would have been the second time Muhammadu Buhari would have toppled constitutional rule in our country.
“Finally, the PDP commends Nigerians, who marched out in their numbers today, in response to our earlier call, to resist this brigandage against our nation even as we urge them to remain alert, as eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
The party also said Acting President Yemi Osinbajo should shed the idea of using the sacked Director General (DG) of the Directorate of Security, Lawan Daura as ‘the fall guy’ for Tuesday’s invasion of the National Assembly by security forces.
“The party insists that the invasion by the DSS and Police was with the absolute knowledge and approval of President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Osinbajo, and the All Progressives Congress (APC),” adding that “Daura’s sack was an afterthought, diversionary and deceitful.”
The PDP recalled that it it issued series of statements during the weekend alerting Nigerians to the plots against the National Assembly and democracy ahead of President Buhari’s overseas trip noting that the Presidency was silent on all the alarms.
“If anything, they urged the Senators and Members to remain steadied in their grave plan to ridicule our bastion of democracy, the National Assembly.
“The Presidency’s sack of Daura was a damage-control stunt and a knee-jerk gimmick which came as a response to the national and international outcry against the armed invasion of our legislature by security agents as directed by the Buhari Presidency.
“The action of security agents that blocked the National Assembly is treasonable and must attract appropriate sanctions under our law. It is not enough to take populist approach of easing Daura out of office. Our party demands an immediate investigation by an independent panel of inquiry headed by a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria to examine the remote and immediate cause of the invasion.
“Moreover, Section 16 of the Legislative House (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017, provides that any person, who by any act, obstructs members of the National Assembly from performing their legislative duties, is liable and punishable by imprisonment.
“Furthermore, Nigerians observed that the invasion was not only by the DSS, but also had the involvement of the Police, whose high command has not received any sanction or reprimand by the Presidency for its serial acts of impunity.
“Finally, we commend PDP federal lawmakers, Nigerians, the media as well as the international community who rose in defence of our democracy, even as we remind all not to let down their guards.”