By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
As the nation marks the 21st anniversary of June 12 now known as Democracy Day today, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has made case for a credible electoral process; respect for rule of law and regard for constitutional separation of power in the country.
The PDP has also harped on the need for regard for the unity, national cohesion and sensibility of Nigerians and respect for rights of citizens.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja through its National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan yesterday, the leading opposition party
Initiate the process of returning the Electoral Act Amendment bill to the National Assembly with a strong commitment to
The PDP also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately take steps that will restore faith and hope in our country.
According to Ologbondiyan, “The PDP calls on the Buhari Presidency and the APC (All Progressives Congress) 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.
“Our party invites President Buhari to immediately take steps that will restore faith and hope in our country.
“He can do this by taking actions that reflect the motto of the Nigerian coat of arm by being just, engendering unity and stimulating an atmosphere of peace as well as national progress.
“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.
“He should also take further steps to end the constitutional violations, abuse of human rights, political intolerance, harassment of opposition and dissenting voices associated with his administration”, he said.
The PDP further advised the President
to see to the rejigging of the nation’s security architecture as well as more decisive steps that will be taken by his administration to save Nigerians from untimely and sudden gruesome deaths in the hands of bandits and insurgents.
Nigerians, the party said, are tired of the rhetorics of routine condolences and instructions that never seemed to be carried out by the security hierarchy.
The PDP called on Nigerians to unite in protecting “our democratic process”, adding “Nigeria is a democratic state and Nigerians have chosen democracy as a system of government and way of life”.
It warned that “Nobody therefore, no matter how highly placed, must be allowed to appropriate our common heritage and desecrate our hard-earned democracy”.
