The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the rendition of President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 election campaign tune during the 2024 budget presentation in the hallowed chamber of the National Assembly bodes ill for democracy in Nigeria.
The party spoke through a Wednesday statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
The PDP said it strongly condemned the act, which it described as “extremely sacrilegious and unpardonable assault by President Tinubu and his handlers on the sensibility and cconstitutional sovereignty of the Nigerian people as represented by the National Assembly”.
According to the main opposition party, the insensitive and brazen rendition of Tinubu’s campaign tune amidst proceedings in the chambers of the National Assembly by government’s security band further confirms the apprehensions by Nigerians of creeping totalitarianism and fiefdom where an individual is being elevated as a sovereign in clear undermining of the Legislature and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“This condemnable episode validates the concerns of the PDP as expressed on several occasions, the latest being on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 where our Party raised alarm and cautioned that our nation is dangerously sliding into cronyism and totalitarianism under the Tinubu-led APC administration.
“The National Assembly is the symbol of the collective sovereignty of the Nigerian people which cannot be appropriated by or surrendered to any individual or cabal under any guise or circumstance whatsoever.
“Moreover, the PDP is appalled by President Tinubu’s description of Nigerians in his budget presentation as the “ordinary people out there”; a statement which further exposes the disdain and utter disregard to the sensitivity of Nigerians as reflected in the formulation of polices, programmes and implementation by the APC administration.
“This apparently explains why the 2024 budget as presented by President Tinubu heavily provided for luxury appetite of the privileged few in the Presidency and APC leaders with no corresponding positive plan for the wellbeing of other Nigerians,” this statement read in part.
The PDP called on Nigerians to be on alert and defend the nation’s democracy by resisting the totalitarian tendencies of the APC administration.
“Nigeria is a democratic nation governed by the Constitution and the Rule of Law and we must not allow any act that is capable of drifting our nation to unconstitutional tendencies as being exhibited by the APC,” the party said.