The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the
Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC)
against any attempt to intimidate or harass the Clerk of
the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and the
National Assembly Service Commission for performing
their statutory functions during the inauguration of the
National Assembly when Bukola Saraki emerged the
Senate President and Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in a
statement on Thursday said any attempt by the APC to
transfer their frustration, which was a product of their
ineptitude, would amount to witch-hunt and
victimization.
The party said the undertone of the statement of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu that the
Clerk was adequately requested to shift the time for the
inauguration to enable the President address the APC
legislators but he ignored it “amounts to putting undue
pressure on civil servants in the National Assembly for
performing their legitimate duties and sends a serious
signal which should not be ignored.”
It described as unfortunate the fact that the APC’s
displayed its arrogance and disrespect for the dictates of
the constitution by attempting to adjust the President’s
promulgation order on the National Assembly and
seeking to put their interest over and above the supreme
law of the land.
“It is a clear mark of disrespect to the constitution for the
President and his party to fix a meeting for him to address
their legislators the same time he had directed the
Assembly to be inaugurated in line with the constitution.
For 16 years that PDP nurtured democracy in this
country, there was never a day it attempted to arm-twist
or intimidate the bureaucracy of the National Assembly to
do its bidding given our recognition and respect for the
independence and sanctity of the legislative arm.
“The National Assembly is the citadel of democracy and
represents the collective voice of all Nigerians. The PDP,
even in opposition will continue to protect its sanctity
and will therefore resist any attempt by the APC to
undermine its independence and those of other
democratic institutions in our country”, the statement
said.
The party noted that the position of the APC and the
Presidency clearly negates President Buhari’s well-
received and praised assertion in his inaugural speech
that he belongs to everybody and belongs to nobody as
Nigeria’s President.
“By the last minute attempt to shift the inauguration time
for party interest, the President violates his Presidential
oath to defend the constitution and serve the nation
without fear or favour and irrespective of party, religion
and tribe, as he did not consider the interests of other
political parties and the generality of Nigerians”, the party
said.
The PDP said emerging events have continued to justify
its position that the APC is ill-equipped and unprepared
for the enormous challenge of ruling the country adding
that such became glaring in the way and manner the APC
handled a very vital issue like the inauguration of the
National Assembly.
“From March 28, 2015 to June 9th, the APC had about 74
days within which it was expected to put its house in
order and present its leaders for the 8th National
Assembly, but it could not because of the greed and
selfishness of its so-called godfathers who instead chose
to fix their party meeting the same time the President
scheduled for the inauguration of the National Assembly”.
The PDP said rather than vilify the Clerk of the National
Assembly, the APC should commend him for his patriotic
and courageous stand that has helped minimize the
embarrassment the shifting would have brought to the
country internationally given that it has been announced
to take place at a particular time on Tuesday.
The party therefore charged the Presidency and APC to
apologize to Nigerians for the embarrassment their
ineptitude and inexperience has been causing the nation
since they came into office
Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC)
against any attempt to intimidate or harass the Clerk of
the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and the
National Assembly Service Commission for performing
their statutory functions during the inauguration of the
National Assembly when Bukola Saraki emerged the
Senate President and Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in a
statement on Thursday said any attempt by the APC to
transfer their frustration, which was a product of their
ineptitude, would amount to witch-hunt and
victimization.
The party said the undertone of the statement of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu that the
Clerk was adequately requested to shift the time for the
inauguration to enable the President address the APC
legislators but he ignored it “amounts to putting undue
pressure on civil servants in the National Assembly for
performing their legitimate duties and sends a serious
signal which should not be ignored.”
It described as unfortunate the fact that the APC’s
displayed its arrogance and disrespect for the dictates of
the constitution by attempting to adjust the President’s
promulgation order on the National Assembly and
seeking to put their interest over and above the supreme
law of the land.
“It is a clear mark of disrespect to the constitution for the
President and his party to fix a meeting for him to address
their legislators the same time he had directed the
Assembly to be inaugurated in line with the constitution.
For 16 years that PDP nurtured democracy in this
country, there was never a day it attempted to arm-twist
or intimidate the bureaucracy of the National Assembly to
do its bidding given our recognition and respect for the
independence and sanctity of the legislative arm.
“The National Assembly is the citadel of democracy and
represents the collective voice of all Nigerians. The PDP,
even in opposition will continue to protect its sanctity
and will therefore resist any attempt by the APC to
undermine its independence and those of other
democratic institutions in our country”, the statement
said.
The party noted that the position of the APC and the
Presidency clearly negates President Buhari’s well-
received and praised assertion in his inaugural speech
that he belongs to everybody and belongs to nobody as
Nigeria’s President.
“By the last minute attempt to shift the inauguration time
for party interest, the President violates his Presidential
oath to defend the constitution and serve the nation
without fear or favour and irrespective of party, religion
and tribe, as he did not consider the interests of other
political parties and the generality of Nigerians”, the party
said.
The PDP said emerging events have continued to justify
its position that the APC is ill-equipped and unprepared
for the enormous challenge of ruling the country adding
that such became glaring in the way and manner the APC
handled a very vital issue like the inauguration of the
National Assembly.
“From March 28, 2015 to June 9th, the APC had about 74
days within which it was expected to put its house in
order and present its leaders for the 8th National
Assembly, but it could not because of the greed and
selfishness of its so-called godfathers who instead chose
to fix their party meeting the same time the President
scheduled for the inauguration of the National Assembly”.
The PDP said rather than vilify the Clerk of the National
Assembly, the APC should commend him for his patriotic
and courageous stand that has helped minimize the
embarrassment the shifting would have brought to the
country internationally given that it has been announced
to take place at a particular time on Tuesday.
The party therefore charged the Presidency and APC to
apologize to Nigerians for the embarrassment their
ineptitude and inexperience has been causing the nation
since they came into office
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