The Peoples Democratic Party has described as undemocratic and completely unacceptable, President Muhammadu Buhari’s comment that security agencies will deal decisively with any person or group that dares to criticise the handling of security under his administration.
The main opposition party said the President did not have powers to bully Nigerians for their comments on the matter.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, that the PDP after a thorough review of all issues, concluded that nobody, apart from the President himself, politicised the adoption of Dapchi schoolgirls when he boasted that his response time was faster than that of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said the PDP held that President Buhari’s pronouncement on the alleged politicisation of security issues was targeted at emasculating the opposition and those with contrary opinions to the views of the All Progressives Congress.
He said, “The President’s statement completely betrays a dangerous political intolerance and utter disdain for the rule of law and constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech and opinion of citizens in a democracy.
“The PDP is constrained to remind President Buhari that our nation is no longer under the rule of military decrees and tribunals where security agents deal(t) decisively with citizens for holding opinions.”
Ologbondiyan added that Nigeria, and her people, had since 1999, chosen a democratic order where there were clear laws guiding expression of opinions.
He added, “Our 1999 Constitution (as amended) also confers the adjudication of any violations in that regard with the courts and not with security operatives.
“Nigerians are aware that the present APC government has become intensely distraught, having been rejected for its misrule, and will not hesitate to deploy every available means to inject fear into the citizens and prevent them from freely expressing themselves and voting according to their conscience during the 2019 general elections.
“President Buhari should however note that Nigerians can no longer be intimidated or cowed as they are now, more than ever before, ready to protect their constitutionally guaranteed rights as enshrined in our constitution.”
Ologbondiyan said while the PDP was against any action by any citizen to undermine our security system, especially for political reasons, “we insist that where such occurs, such must be addressed by procedures and processes provided by the laws of our land.”
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