The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as a show of shame and national embarrassment the free for all fight fight among All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the House of Representatives on
Thursday, stating that the ugly development bring to fore the question of President
Muhammadu Buhari and his party
commitment to deepening democracy and the sustenance of the country’s unity.
The PDP said that the fracas shown that Buhari and his party lack the essential democratic credentials to respect the independence and sanctity of the legislative arm of government which is clearly enshrined in the 1999 constitution as amended.
Reacting to the free for all fight among House members, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in a statement said: “the barbaric attempt to physically assault a duly elected Speaker, seize the mace, the authority of the House, is a direct attack on the Nigerian parliament which embodies the supremacy of the people and our freedom as a democratic nation".
He said what Nigerians witnessed in the House on Thursday clearly underscores the fact that the APC has exhausted its excuses and has now imported its internal contradictions into an independent arm of government as a way to further cover its lack of ideas for governance.
Metuh explains: “the brawling APC lawmakers ostensibly acted on instructions from the Presidency, an obvious indication that President Buhari is largely an interested party whose involvement is beyond mere body language.
Intervene To Resolve Crisis?
The PDP scribe noted that the dishonourable manner that the APC lawmakers conducted themselves clearing shown that they were acting out a script ordered by the APC. He said that this did not come as a surprise given that the party’s members are bred and nurtured under a political platform that lacks discipline and thrives on violence as an unwritten manifesto.
“We state unequivocally that the onus lies on President Buhari to ensure that all democratic institutions are harnessed for effectiveness, a responsibility he has apparently abdicated by allowing his personal interest to instigate division in the parliament, a tendency that poses great threat to the survival of our democracy and the stability of the nation,” the statement stated.
The PDP further revealed that continued confusion in the APC-led government is a confirmation of its earlier stand that the APC lacks the capacity and democratic discipline to effectively steer the ship of nation and face the challenges of governance at the center.
“If a party that has since March 28, 2015 when it got its victory, about 90 days ago, cannot resolve a basic issue of selecting its leadership in the National Assembly, clearly, their competence for national governance comes to question”, the PDP stated.
He praised Speaker Yakubu Dogara for his calmness and comportment during the brawl especially his statement help in restoing calm in the House.
Metuh encouraged the Speaker to remain resolute to the ideal of democracy and protect the independence of the House.
The PDP commended all its members in the House of Representatives for the display of maturity in the face of provocation.
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