By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the cabal in the Buhari Presidency against alleged plots to push a third term agenda for President Muhammadu Buhari.
The PDP said such a move would be a dangerous underhand politics capable of derailing Nigeria’s democracy and destabilizing the nation.
The party condemned the statements by the presidency and the APC, calling them “unhealthy ploy to introduce a repugnant issue into official discourse in a bid to give it a life and achieve its fruition in the political arena.”
The presidency issued a statement on Tuesday saying that President Muhammadu Buhari will not seek tenure extension at the end of his 2nd term in office.
Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Nigeria’s Independence Day made the declaration saying categorically that the president will not seek tenure extension under any circumstances and will not support an amendment of the constitution to make that happen.
“The Presidency wishes to correct internet-based gossip and un-informed media commentary regarding presidential term limits, given credence by so-called support groups, staging street demonstrations asking President Muhammadu Buhari to do a third term.
“There are no circumstances – nor set of circumstances – under which President Buhari may seek to amend the Constitution regarding the two-term term limit on holding office as President.
“President Buhari intends to serve his full second elected term in office, ending 2023 – and then there shall be a general election in which he will not be a candidate. There is not even the faintest possibility that this will change.
“It is important to note that there was a past attempt to change the Constitution to allow for the-then incumbent president to stand for a third term. That attempt was wrong, unconstitutional – and rightly rebuffed.
“No such attempt will happen under this President. President Buhari is a democrat. He respects the Constitution. Any activity aimed at altering the two-term limit will not succeed and shall never have his time nor support.”
But the PDP said it is preposterous for the presidency cabal and the APC to
think that Nigerians cannot see through their shenanigan to import and
elevate what they labeled as rumor and internet-based gossip, into
official national discourse.
“Our party notes that Nigerians will not be surprised when, after the
statements by the Presidency and APC, new groups surface to orchestrate
more forceful agitations in the public space for the alteration of the
1999 Constitution to achieve an ignoble aim.”
The opposition party however cautioned the Presidency and the APC to note that Nigerians are already aware of individuals and political interests in
the Presidency cabal in addition to known APC agents who are behind the
street demonstrations for a third term for President Buhari.
“The party invites Nigerians to note how, having been busted, the
presidency cabal and the APC are now groping for ways to cover their
trails by making frivolous allegations which directly point back to
them.
“The party therefore urges President Muhammadu Buhari to personally speak out and immediately call his supporters to order as Nigerians will never allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to alter any part of our
constitution to serve a selfish interest.
“The PDP insists that this has become imperative in view of the series of
constitutional violations and provocative undermining of our laws by the
APC and power mongers in the Buhari Presidency.”