PDP Slams Buhari, APC Over House Of Reps Fracas

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned Thursday’s fracas by disgruntled APC members in the House of Representatives. The party said that the ugly incident, which it termed a national embarrassment, brings to fore questions regarding President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC’s commitment to democracy, unity and the stability of the country.

In a statement on Thursday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh 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”.

According to Metuh, 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.

The PDP further said that intelligence available to it shows that “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”.

“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 PDP added that the 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 the nation.

“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.

The PDP however applauded Speaker Yakubu Dogara for comporting himself and delivering remarks as a good statesman that he is, after the unfortunate incident. The party urged him to continue in this matured manner and not yield any ground in his duties to protect the independence of the legislature.

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