The Peoples Democratic Party said the walkout by its members in the Senate during the confirmation of a former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, as minister on Thursday, was a collective stand of the party against corruption.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this while briefing newsmen on the resolutions of the party’s National Caucus Meeting held in the late hours of Thursday in Abuja.
Metuh said the confirmation of Amaechi’s nomination as minister by the Senate was an indication of insincerity of the All Progressives Congress’ fight against corruption.
He said: “We salute the courage and unity of purpose of our senators, especially as demonstrated in the Senate chamber on Thursday, in their collective stand against impunity and corruption.
“This is in line with the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.
“The PDP states that what the APC senators did on Thursday finally put a death nail on their party’s war against corruption.”
Metuh said that the party was calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to stand up for justice and equity in the country.
Metuh said the caucus had identified the judiciary’s handling of elections petitions in some states, particularly Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Taraba, Ogun, Plateau and Lagos, as provocative.
He said the PDP and Nigerians wondered why it was necessary to interfere with the composition of the tribunal handling the petitions on Rivers State elections.
He said the party was worried over what he described as the “harassment” of Resident Electoral Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission on election petition matters.
Metuh called on the judiciary to take necessary steps at its appellate level to remedy the embarrassing rulings by some of the election petitions tribunals.
He said the caucus “also deliberated and resolved that there was serious cause for concern on the nation’s political environment, especially the survival of its democracy.
“We resolved that the gains recorded in 16 years of nurturing democracy in the country by the PDP are rapidly being eroded.
“Our democracy is being eroded with non-functioning of basic tenets of democracy and perpetration of actions tilting toward dictatorship.”
The party, according to its spokesman, called on the APC to take a critical look at issues being raised by the opposition party.
The issues, he said, constituted “threat to viable democracy and dangerous to the peace, unity and progress of the country”.
Metuh said “continued deliberate inconveniences on vital institutions of democracy such as the judiciary, legislature and INEC was capable of derailing the nation’s democratic journey”.
Metuh said the PDP had resolved to resist executive interference on other arms of government.
“Finally, the party reiterates its commitment to the unity of Nigeria and the development of its democracy,” he said.
NAN.
Trending
- Folorunso Alakija to Adeleke: You are an action Governor
- Why we dumped Fubara — Rivers ex-Commissioners
- Access Bank Group, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation pledge $300m to transform Africa’s economic landscape
- Fubara: Nobody has monopoly of violence
- WAFU B U-17: Golden Eaglets draw with Burkina Faso in opener
- Seplat Energy recommits to growing shareholders’ wealth, sustainability at AGM
- Tinubu condoles with Governor Sanwo-Olu over passing of Deputy Chief of Staff
- Those grumbling about new electricity tariff have not been paying bills in the past – Adelabu