Politics
PDP slams Nigerian govt, police over handling of June 12 protesters
Against the backdrop of reported repression and heavy-handedness by police operatives on June 12 protesters across the country, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the violent clampdown.
According to the PDP, the clampdown on citizens on Democracy Day is not in line with democratic ideals which recognises the rights to protests.
This was contained in a statement issued by the PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan on Saturday.
Ologbondiyan said, “It is awkward that the APC and President Buhari, who were allowed their freedom when they protested in 2014, would turn around to subject Nigerians to actions of inhumanity including the use of firearms against the people, as being witnessed today.
READ ALSO: INSECURITY: S’south PDP visits Gov Emmanuel, urges governors to push for state police
“It is instructive to note that President Buhari, in his supposed Democracy Day address, failed to rein in his security operatives despite the cautions by the PDP. This places the culpability for whatever befalls Nigerians, in the face of the violent attacks by security agencies, on the APC as well as Mr. President’s desk.
“The PDP is not surprised that in his over 20 minutes speech, Mr. President never made any commitment towards upholding the democratic tenets of free speech, freedom of expression, freedom of association and right to peaceful protest, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and our statutes, from which he, as APC candidate, drew huge benefit in 2014.
“Our party is cataloguing all the infringements which the APC and President Buhari are rudely imposing on Nigerians and we urge all global democratic institutions to take note of the violent infringements and clampdown on democracy in Nigeria by the APC.”
By Mayowa Oladeji
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