As the looting of public funds continues to define Nigeria as the heavy-weight champion of corruption, the Presidency has noted that the call by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign due to ongoing investigations of corrupt practices clearly indicates that the party is gripped by undemocratic pandemic and life-threatening sickness.
Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.
According to him, at a time when the whole world is unifying to confront a common enemy, Nigeria’s opposition party, the PDP, has launched a whirlwind campaign promoting undemocratic values.
He said the latest manifestation of its campaign was the call for President Buhari’s resignation for allowing audits and investigation into several agencies of government, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
”Based on the statement issued by the embattled chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus, it is clear that they would have liked the President to not investigate but to cover things up; to not wake the sleeping lion as voiced by another of their leaders.
”In a democracy, an opposition party is as critical to the system as the ruling party but in the case of Nigeria the leading party in opposition is afflicted by a life-threatening sickness, the undemocratic pandemic as a result of which they are trading away the nation’s democratic values,” he said.
He acknowledged that the PDP government exited the stage five years ago through a democratic election by voters dissatisfied with corruption on an industrial scale, policy paralysis, obsolete and decaying essential infrastructure.
Shehu, who stated that Buhari would not resign, said the PDP appeared to have forgotten the reason for its stunning defeat and seemed hell-bent on the fooling the nation, yet again, for another ride to power.
He said: ”President Buhari will not resign. He is determined to continue the crusade against corruption, both legacy and recently unearthed cases, that are found to be shabbily handled, and in some cases unattended to by past administrations.
”The National Assembly, by virtue of its right to conduct its oversight function is currently carrying out own investigations.
”Additionally, the security and intelligence agencies are equally doing their part and must be given the time and space to conclude their work and present their reports.
”The PDP cannot scare the government from probing the grave allegations made against MDAs and their chiefs because, failure to do so will amount to a historic betrayal of public trust.
”The PDP cannot subject Nigeria’s democracy to subterranean attacks and continue to pretend that they are well-meaning.”
NAN
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