Onnoghen: Buhari destroying democracy – Secondus

The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has accused the Federal Government of orchestrating the destruction of the nation’s democracy.

This, according to the party chair, was part of the “nefarious” agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the February presidential election.

Secondus, who was reacting to the arraignment of the Justice Onnoghen before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, said the President and his team were arm twisting the Tribunal to force the CJN out of office.

In a statement Wednesday by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, the PDP chair said the APC was afraid an independent judiciary will obstruct its rigging plan.

He described calls by the government on the CJN to vacate his seat as provocative, saying it has left no one, including the global democracies, in doubt that indeed democratic rule has been suspended in Nigeria to pave way for dictatorship.

“The blackmail, the frame up and the orchestration of fictitious figures in the CJN’s bank accounts by the government and their agents are all deliberate ploy to destroy the envious career of a man because of desperation for power

“What they are trying to do is not only illegal but a recipe for anarchy and breakdown of rule of law and must be vehemently resisted,” the party chair said.

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Secondus said it was very glaring that President Buhari and his ruling APC have concluded plans to plunge the country into a major crisis in frustration for their apparent inevitable rejection by Nigerians.

He noted trying to force the head of an arm of government out of office without following the clearly laid down procedures amounted to breach of rules and an invitation to major national crisis.

The party chair urged the CJN to disregard calls for his resignation and remain in office as the constitution guiding the operations of government is very clear on how he can be removed.

“President Buhari’s inclination to non-democratic behavour is now apparent as he moves to muscle all other arms of government as well as ingredients of democracy”, he added.

The main opposition party chairman directed all lovers of democracy and rule of law in the country to stand up to be countered, saying it’s now obvious that the APC administration is determined to wreck the nation’s democracy all because it’s being rejected by Nigerians.

“The agenda is not hidden, which is to truncate democracy rather than face the Nigerian electorate,” Secondus said.

“After the 2016 bizarre arrest and harassment of some Judges and Justices of the Supreme Court and the August 8, 2018 failed coup d’état on the National Assembly, including the sponsored theft of the Senate mace, added to the list, it’s now very clear that democratic norms have taken flight in the country under President Buhari,” he added.

He regretted Buhari could bare his fangs on the judiciary as part of the intimidation agenda of the regime preparatory to the rigging of the 2019 presidential election.