… says ‘Buhari’s govt wants to kill democracy’
With less than four weeks to the commencement of the general
elections, the African Democratic Congress has urged voters to reject
the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives
Congress, on account of gross incompetence, failure to provide basic
security for citizens, and desperate actions geared towards killing
what is remaining of Nigeria’s fledgling democracy.
The party also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to warn his
“attack dogs” to stay away from its presidential candidate, Dr.
Obadiah Mailafia, and refrain from pressurising him to betray his
alliance with a travel ban.
In a statement issued on Thursday, by its National Publicity
Secretary, Yemi Kolapo, the ADC noted that the recent hounding of the
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnogen, preluded by the selective
harrassment of key figures in the opposition “bears so much attributes
to the book ‘How Democracies Die’ by Steven Levitsky and Daniel
Ziblatt, professors of government at Harvard University.”
“No doubt, the handlers of President Muhammadu Buhari have read the
book and are acting the script in-toto. Unfortunately, like all the
blunders the APC is known for, they copy blindly and don’t see the
blind spots and even understand the thinking of the people,” the
statement said.
The party said a letter was recently transmitted to the CG of
Immigration by a committee, led by Oboi Okono Obla (who himself is
embroiled in a certificate forgery scandal), listing a number of
Nigerians to be barred from traveling out of the country, with the
name of ADC’s presidential candidate, Mailafia, included.
It stated, “Upon visiting their offices, he was hounded and
traumatised over an allegation of missing funds in the Central Bank of
Nigeria since 2006. Granted that time will never cover up for any
crime perpertrated by anyone, the question now is: if actually he
committed a crime, no matter how frivolous it is, why is the sin being
punished three weeks to presidential election?
“Why are the open and underground Buharists intimidating influential
ADC members, and indeed other members of the CUPP, with actions aimed
at forcing them to align with a failed party, and a failed cause?”
The ADC said Buhari’s signature anti-corruption war had proven to be a
mere ruse as many tainted opposition politicians, with cases pending
before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, “suddenly become
saints once they decamp to the APC.”
“APC is a party without honour or principles. Those they condemned
yesterday are suddenly whitewashed once they join the party. This is
why we say the anti-graft campaign is lopsided; it is a weapon to
drive formidable opposition elements underground,” it said.
The statement quoted the book, ‘How Democracies Die’, as saying, “Many
government efforts to subvert democracy are “legal”, in the sense that
they are approved by the legislature or accepted by the courts. They
may even be portrayed as efforts to improve democracy – making the
judiciary more efficient, combating corruption or cleaning up the
electoral process. Newspapers still publish but are bought off or
bullied into self-censorship. Citizens continue to criticise the
government but often find themselves facing tax or other legal
troubles. This sows public confusion.
“People do not immediately realise what is happening. Many continue to
believe they are living under a democracy. Because there is no single
moment – no coup, declaration of martial law, or suspension of the
constitution – in which the regime obviously ‘crosses the line’ into
dictatorship…democracy’s erosion is, for many, almost imperceptible.”
The party, however, stressed that like Venezuela, under Maduro and
Hugo Chavez, Like Adolf Hitler and his Nazi madness, Like Robert
Mugabe and Zimbabwe and other places where the leaders killed
democracy, the people’s will would triumph in Nigeria.
It said, “The APC government may wield and control all the power at
this point in Nigeria’s history, but God’s will for Nigeria will be
done. Using the institutions of state to carry out a counterfeit
leadership crusade will fail! We advise the APC to appreciate the fact
that Nigeria is not like other countries that tolerate sit tight
tyrannies, Nigerians are brilliant people who have discerning
abilities and capacities to chase a tyrant out.”
