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June 12: Buhari, APC destroying democratic tenets, says PDP

By Myke Uzendu

The peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari’s and the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) of destroying democratic institutions by refusing to sign the Electoral Act bill that will strengthen democracy in the country.

The party made the accusation in a world press conference by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Thursday at its National Secretariat, Abuja to mark 21 years of democracy in the country.

The party lamented that those at the helm of affairs in the country are persons that do not appreciate the value of democratic instruments even as they climbed same to ascend into office. The party demanded that President Buhari should take the right steps to water democratic culture in the country.

The PDP called on the Buhari Presidency and the APC to note that Nigeria is not under a military dictatorship but a democratic state and as such should stop forthwith, the violation of our democratic tenets.

He said, “The PDP and indeed majority of Nigerians have been forced by prevailing circumstances to come to the conclusion that President Buhari and the APC have not worked for these essential ingredients of nationhood in the last five years.

“Most importantly, our party, on behalf of Nigerians, demands that President Buhari should use the last three years of his final tenure in office to restore the credibility of elections in our country.

“Our Party therefore, demands that President Buhari speaks to the issue of amendment to the Electoral Act in his June 12 address and to within the next 14 days, initiate the process of returning the Electoral Act Amendment bill to the National Assembly, with a strong commitment to sign it into law immediately it is passed by the legislature.

“Our party holds that it behooves on President Buhari to initiate an electoral reform process immediately, even if that will be the only legacy that posterity will record for him in his 8 years in office.

“Any failure to initiate an electoral reform will amount to a deliberate plot by the APC to kill our hard earned democracy and return our nation to a state of nature where the will of any individual, supported by bandits and vagabonds will become the norm”.

The party sent felicitations to Nigerians for their resilience in protecting democracy despite the violations, coercions, and abuse of democratic tenets by the APC administrations.

“June 12 is a commemoration of the annulment of June 12 1993 Election of Chief MKO Abiola as President. Metaphorically, June 12 has also come to represent our quest as a people for credible, free, and fair election as well as a society governed by the rule of law.

“Our Party is heavily saddened that the nation is currently presided over by persons whose actions showed that they do not believe in, or have any regard for democracy” the party said.

Such persons, according to PDP emasculated democratic principles and desecrated all that MKO Abiola stood for, fought for, and eventually died for which represented credible electoral process; respect for rule of law; regard for constitutional separation of power; regard for the unity, national cohesion and sensibility of Nigerians; respect for rights of citizens; freedom of speech and tolerance; free press; respect for principle of federal character; transparency accountability and productivity in governance.

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