- Atiku says Nigeria is sliding into dictatorship
- PDP gov says no, Tinubu is the leader to deliver the hope Nigerians desire
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 General Election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has called for a merger of all opposition political parties, noting that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is sliding Nigeria into dictatorship.
The former Vice President made the remarks yesterday day when he hosted the national executive committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Council Nigeria (IPAC).
According to the former Vice President, “the project of protecting democracy in our country is not about just one man.
“You have come here today to say that we should cooperate in order to promote democracy.
“But the truth of the matter is that our democracy is fast becoming a one-party system; and, of course, you know that when we have a one party system, we should just forget about democracy.”
Atiku further tasked the leadership of IPAC, led by its national president, Yabagi Sani, on the need for the opposition political parties to come together and create a more formidable front that will salvage Nigeria’s democracy from sliding into a one-party state.
“We have all seen how the APC is increasingly turning Nigeria into a dictatorship of one party. If we don’t come together to challenge what the ruling party is trying to create, our democracy will suffer for it, and the consequences of it will affect the generations yet unborn,” Atiku said.
He further chided the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting the worst ever general election in the country.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission conducted the worst general election in the country.
“Recently again in the off-season election in three states, INEC doubled down on its disregard for the tenets of our democracy.
“We all can see how INEC declared a result in Kogi State where the total number of votes cast is higher than the total number of accredited voters in one local government.
“We cannot have a healthy democracy in an environment where all INEC does is to deliver the ruling party at all cost.
“That is also why I will urge you all, to appeal to lawmakers of the various opposition parties in the National Assembly to sponsor legislation that will advance the course of the constitutional and electoral reforms agenda that I shared in my recent press conference.
The issue of electronic voting must be the urgent priority of the National Assembly because countries that are far less advanced as Nigeria are already doing it.
“Until our elections pass the test of transparency through electronic voting, it will be difficult for INEC to regain its credibility, and our democracy will be the first casualty of such a situation,” Atiku noted.
Yabagi Sani, while speaking on behalf of other members of IPAC on the delegation, said that the group had chosen to come and pay courtesy visit to Atiku because the former Vice President is a true democrat and a political leader who treads the path of detribalization and politics without violence.
The IPAC President observed that notwithstanding the glaring shortcomings associated with our elections, democracy remains the best form of government.
Noting that the former Vice President is the “issue of the democracy in Nigeria,” Yabagi said that as far as he was concerned, “the journey has just begun for Atiku”, assuring that they will be available at any time that he needs them as a group.
Meanwhile, a PDP governor has expressed his respect for President Tinubu, saying he’s the leader to deliver the hope Nigerians desire
The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed said the sense of dedication of Tinubu to service and humanity made him the leader to deliver the hope Nigerians desire.
He stated this on Monday while speaking with newsmen in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
He said that the president has enjoyed the support of most Governors in spite of party differences, adding that Nigeria would come out better in the next few years.
”We have to appreciate the dedication of Mr President towards Nigeria and the reviving of the economy that is in dire need of reformation.
“So far, we have seen from his various steps that we are going forward to a new Nigeria.
”As the president prayed for the wellbeing of the country in the Holiest place of Islam, it gives me the courage that he will deliver the hope that Nigerians desires.
”In spite of our party differences I still feel great respect for the president. As he prayed for Nigeria, I prayed for him because when you pray for your leaders, you are ultimately praying for yourself,” the governor said.
Mr Mohammed said that there were a lot of assurances from the president’s precedent as governor of Lagos State that the country would be better.
”He has done it before in Lagos and look at what Lagos has become in not only Nigeria but in Africa. This is the transformation Nigeria requires and we will see it in no distant time,” he said.
Similarly, Amb. Yahaya Lawal, Nigerian envoy to Saudi Arabia, said that the visit of the president had yielded many blessings for the country.
He said that the Saudi-Nigeria trade relations would receive a boost with the response of various stakeholders to the investment drive of the president.!
”I am highly elated as the ambassador that this is happening at my time. The reception that the president also received was highly commendable.
“It shows the respect and dignity they have for Nigeria and the president,” he said.
Mr Lawal said that the president’s visit to the summit would very soon start yielding results for the benefit of Nigerians.
He charged Nigerians to continue to pray for their leaders and country, adding that the support of citizens was crucial to the success of any government.
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