June 12: PDP condemns clampdown on protesters

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the clampdown on peaceful protesters on Democracy Day.
The party in a statement signed on Saturday by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan said “the brutal clampdown on Nigerian citizens is sacrilegious”

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemns, in the strongest term ever, the violent clampdown by agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari on Nigerians who are peacefully protesting on Democracy Day.

“It is awkward that the APC and President Buhari, who were allowed their freedom when they protested in 2014, would turn around to subject Nigerians to actions of inhumanity including the use of firearms against the people, as being witnessed today,” the statement read in part.

The party claimed that President Buhari, in his Democracy Day address, failed to rein in his security operatives despite the cautions by the PDP. “This places the culpability for whatever befalls Nigerians, in the face of the violent attacks by security agencies, on the APC as well as Mr. President’s desk.”

The PDP said it is not surprised that in the 20 minutes speech, Mr. President never made any commitment towards upholding the democratic tenets of free speech, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and right to peaceful protest, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and our statutes, from which he, as APC candidate, drew huge benefit in 2014.

The party stressed that it is cataloging all the infringements which the APC and President Buhari are imposing on Nigerians and urged all global democratic institutions to take note of the infringements and clampdown on democracy in Nigeria by the APC.