PDP gripped by undemocratic pandemic, Presidency says in reply to Secondus, says President Buhari will not resign
The presidency has reacted to the calls made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for President Muhammadu Buhari to resign.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said his principal will not heed to calls made by the PDP.
“President Buhari will not resign. He is determined to continue the crusade against corruption, both legacy and recently unearthed cases, that are found to be shabbily handled, and in some cases unattended to by past administrations,” the statement partly read.
The presidential spokesman accused the PDP of launching what he describes as a whirlwind campaign that promotes “undemocratic values, the latest manifestation of which is the call for President Muhammadu Buhari’s resignation for allowing audits and investigation into several agencies of government, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.”
While noting that opposition helps democracy to strive, Shehu alleged that the “leading party in opposition is afflicted by a life-threatening sickness, the undemocratic pandemic as a result of which they are trading away the nation’s democratic values.”
According to him, the PDP cannot scare the government from probing the grave allegations made against the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, adding that failure to do so will amount to a historic betrayal of public trust.
He, therefore, insisted that the opposition party cannot subject the nation’s democracy to “subterranean attacks and continue to pretend that they are well-meaning.”
His response comes shortly after the PDP Chairman, Uche Secondus accused President Buhari’s administration of failing to tackle insecurity and attempting to sweep allegations of corruption under the carpet.
Speaking during a news briefing in the nation’s capital Abuja, Secondus said the rising insecurity in the country across the country has exposed the poor leadership in the military and ruling class.
READ THE FULL STATEMENT HERE:
PDP GRIPPED BY UNDEMOCRATIC PANDEMIC
At a time when the whole world is unifying to confront a common enemy, Nigeria’s opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has launched a whirlwind campaign promoting undemocratic values, the latest manifestation of which is the call for President Muhammadu Buhari’s resignation for allowing audits and investigation into several agencies of government, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Based on the statement issued by the embattled chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus, it is clear that they would have liked the President to not investigate but to cover things up: to not wake the sleeping lion as voiced by another of their leaders.
In a democracy, an opposition party is as critical to the system as the ruling party but in the case of Nigeria, the leading party in opposition is afflicted by a life-threatening sickness, the undemocratic pandemic as a result of which they are trading away the nation’s democratic values.
The PDP government which exited the stage five years ago through a democratic election by voters dissatisfied with corruption on an industrial scale, policy paralysis, obsolete and decaying essential infrastructure appears to have forgotten the reason for their stunning defeat and seem hell-bent on the fooling the nation, yet again for another ride to power.
President Buhari will not resign. He is determined to continue the crusade against corruption, both legacy and recently unearthed cases, that are found to be shabbily handled, and in some cases unattended to by past administrations. The National Assembly, by virtue of its right to conduct its oversight function is currently carrying out own investigations. Additionally, the security and intelligence agencies are equally doing their part and must be given the time and space to conclude their work and present their reports.
The PDP cannot scare the government from probing the grave allegations made against MDAs and their chiefs because failure to do so will amount to a historic betrayal of public trust.
The PDP cannot subject Nigeria’s democracy to subterranean attacks and continue to pretend that they are well-meaning.
Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
July 24, 2020
