Nigeria heading towards anarchy under APC, says group

Party urges calm over senators’ defection
A pro-democracy group, the Democratic Alliance for Good Governance (DAGG) has condemned the siege to Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu’s residences by security agents.

The group described the development as a war on democracy and a direct attempt to muzzle the opposition.

In a statement in Abuja by its National Coordinator, Usman Mohammed, the group said: “We strongly condemn Tuesday’s siege to the residences of the Senate President, Deputy Senate President and other principal officers of the National Assembly.

“We believe all lovers of democracy in the country and beyond should rise against this tyranny and impunity, which is nothing less than a colossal threat to democratic governance in Nigeria.

“The attempt to stop the Senate from holding its plenary over plans by some lawmakers to defect from the APC is one of the tyrannical moves of the APC-led government to gag the opposition in the country and a direct attack on the lawmakers’ right to freely associate.

“We wish to remind President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC that they came to power as a result of unrestricted freedom they enjoyed while in the opposition and healthy democracy, which gives room for dissent.

“We, however, wish to warn that Nigeria is greater than the President and his party and they must desist from undemocratic practices that may plunge the nation into turmoil,” the statement reads.

The group urged Nigerians to rise against the unprecedented impunity and tyranny of the APC-led government capable of destabilising the country and its hard earned democracy.

It also advised the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to desist from being used as a political tool to hound the opposition, adding that he should concentrate more on protecting Nigerians against security challenges confronting the nation.

However, the APC has enjoined its supporters across the country to remain calm despite the defection of no fewer that 15 senators to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).