The Peoples Democratic Party has cautioned the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), against “pushing the nation to the precipices by his arrogant and dictatorial remarks as well as inflammatory referencing to war, particularly in his apparent aversion towards the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Nigerians.”
The party said this in response to reports that the President described those demanding restructuring of the country as “mischievously dangerous.”
According to the party, “President Buhari’s reported remarks that he and his All Progressives Congress had no time for the call by Nigerians, across board, for a discourse on the state of the nation, particularly in the face of worsening insecurity, economic hardship and sectional disagreements, further demonstrates their arrogant and dictatorial disposition towards the people.
“It is instructive to inform President Buhari that, as citizens of a democratic state, Nigerians have every right to demand constitutional restructuring as well as a democratic forum to deliberate on good governance and national cohesion.”
In a statement signed by the PDP the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party stated that such demands are neither synonymous nor contiguous to warfare.
“The statement read, “It is appalling, and to say the least, despicable, that Mr. President and his party, the APC, who came to power in 2015 on the promise of restructuring, have not only reneged, in utter duplicity towards Nigerians but also turned around, six years after, to label restructuring as warfare and Nigerians demanding for it as “mischievously dangerous”.
“President Buhari should be tutored to know that even the quest for efficient local government system as well as an effectual judiciary, which he alluded to as a focus, can only be achieved through a constitutional restructuring that directly confers and vests the required powers and control to them.
“The amendment or alteration of the constitution to permit state police as widely demanded by Nigerians is, therefore, a form of restructuring that will adjust our policing system without creating a war.
“In as much as the PDP hold the unity and indivisibility of our nation as supreme, our party, however, supports amendments that will alter the 1999 Constitution (as amended) in any manners that will engender good governance and reinforce, rather than detract from her unity, peace, equity and stability.
“Moreover, our party invites Nigerians to note that the APC, as a party, does not have any iota of regard for their aspiration as a people, and as such must not be further entrusted with the fate of our nation after the Buhari abysmal tenure.
“On Mr. President’s allusion to a power of selection over whom he will cede power to, the PDP informs President Buhari and his APC to understand that political power belongs to Nigerians and the people will determine who governs them after the Buhari and APC’s era, which will come to an inevitable end on May 29, 2023.”
