PDP protests, petitions UN, EU, France over alleged dictatorship in Nigeria

– APC keeps mum as George, Momoh fault exercise

Worried about what it called “increasing abuse of democratic principles and institutions in Nigeria”, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday in Abuja embarked on peaceful protests to the offices of the United Nations (UN), European Union (UN) and the French embassy.

Supported by leaders of the party in the National Assembly, the PDP National Secretary, Senator Ibrahim Tsauri, who led the protest asked the trio to intervene in what he termed “murder of democracy and miscarriage of justice in the country.”

The party, in a petition, asked the international community to prevail on the Federal Government to “preserve democratic institutions and ensure that votes of the people count at all times.”

The protesters further reminded the international community that most of their reports on election observation in the country recently had turned out negative, asking them to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently review and sign into law an electoral bill “that will ensure that the votes of the people count.”

Addressing journalists after the submission of the document at the European Union, the Deputy National Chairman (North) of the party, Senator Suleiman Nazif, expressed PDP’s dissatisfaction at the alleged “intimidation of the legislature and judiciary, which has made it very difficult if not impossible to have a credible electoral system.”

He demanded that the recent Supreme Court’s ruling on the Imo governorship election be reviewed to deepen democracy in Nigeria.

Besides, the main opposition party flayed the seeming inaction of the current administration on the high wave of killings, banditry and kidnapping, particularly the Sunday’s carnage in Auno, Borno State by insurgents.

PDP said it was “alarming that the only thing the presidency could offer in the face of the killings of our citizens is condolence statements with no decisive and significant action to track down the perpetrators and end insurgency in the country.”

The position was contained in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday in Abuja.

However, when contacted on the petition by the PDP, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, declined comments.

But former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George and a founding member of the ruling party, Prince Tony Momoh, condemned the protest.

George described his party’s action as applying medicine after death.