The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has written to the United Nations (UN), accusing the federal government of Nigeria of gross human rights violation and conducts threatening the nation’s democracy among other infractions.
In a petition entitled, ” Threat to Democracy, Rule of Law, Basic Freedoms, and Gross Human Rights Violation by the Federal Government of Nigeria,” addressed to UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterress, a copy of which was made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday, PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus accused the President Muhammadu Buhari administration of frustrating political opposition, adding that since its assumption of office, the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration has been harassing and intimidating opposition figures in the country.
He also fingered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies of working in sync with government to perpetuate the APC-led government in office beyond 2019.
A part of the petition reads: “On the 9th of December 2017, I was elected the National Chairman of the PDP, by virtue of which I became the official leader of the opposition in Nigeria. Prior to this, in 2015, our party’s government led by President Goodluck Jonathan conducted a globally-acclaimed free and fair presidential election and for the first time in our nation’s history, superintended a peaceful, democratic transition of power from a party in government to an opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led by General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).
“Our expectations had been that this government would work to strengthen or at least, sustain the gains of this democratic milestone.
“The President Buhari-led APC government is doing all it can to frustrate legitimate opposition and to intimidate and persecute our leaders and ultimately destroy the fragile fabrics of our burgeoning democracy.
“Our nation has become heavily polarized along dangerous fault lines where citizens now live in fear and mutual suspicion; where citizens are slaughtered by the day by marauders; where hunger and strange diseases ravage the people due to the insensitive and incoherent policies of this government.
“I am constrained to bring to the attention of the United Nations what appears to be a predetermined and orchestrated plan by President Muhammadu Buhari and the federal government of Nigeria through various agencies including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Police and other security organisations to truncate Nigeria’s democracy.
On alleged intimidation of opposition members, the party wrote: “Since assumption of office in 2015, the President and the federal government agencies have provided a blanket shield for its corrupt officials and for any member of the opposition who decamps to the ruling APC.
“Recently the federal government confirmed the persecution of opposition leaders in the guise of fighting corruption when it released a phantom list of alleged looters comprising only of persons who are members of the opposition PDP.
“Even persons who were facing criminal prosecution prior to the 2015 presidential elections who are now members of the ruling APC and other members of APC who are overtly known to be involved in known cases of corruption were excluded from the list whilst persons who have never been charged with any crime and who in fact have not held any previous government portfolio including myself were listed as ‘looters,’ adding that “All notable opposition leaders are being harassed or hounded by security operatives using all manners of frivolous and vexatious allegations.”
The party further drew the attention of the UN to what it called the intimidation of its supporters in “Edo, Rivers Kaduna, Kogi, Borno, Adamawa, Delta and other States for expressing a divergent political opinion, particularly on the exposed corruption, abuses and constitutional violations.”
Also of worry to the PDP is the security situation in the country, stressing that government has simply failed to tackle the menace headlong.
“On a daily basis, the nation is inundated with news of gruesome killings and unabating violence across the country, with Nigerians being hacked down or abducted by marauders and insurgents under the President Buhari government, which has failed to take decisive steps to stem the ugly tide.
“Despite persistent killings and wanton destruction of several communities, not even one person has been arrested or prosecuted by the federal government for these crimes against humanity.
“There have been several allegations of the military and police authorities refusing to act on early warning information to prevent attacks on several communities in Benue and Taraba
Publisher: Prince Richmond C. Amadi
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