NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SIEGE: Jonathan poses threat to Nigeria’s democracy – Atiku

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has slammed
the crude methods the Jonathan administration is
using to harass and humiliate perceived political
enemies.
Reacting to the incident at the National Assembly on
Thursday when heavily armed security operatives
prevented Speaker Aminu Tambuwal from gaining
access to the House to preside over the deliberation on
the extension of emergency rule in the North-East, the
former Vice President said in a statement by his media
office that the “siege mentality” of the Jonathan
administration poses grave threats to Nigeria’s
democracy, the rule of law and the separation of
powers as enshrined in the 1999 constitution as
amended.
“Obviously, the emergency rule has failed to stem the
unrest. The Federal Government must work with, rather
than against those who understand and have been
elected by the people to govern,” Atiku counselled.
According to Atiku, this crude display of power by the
President and his agents portends ominous signals for
the future of our democracy, which is not a surprise as
President Jonathan did not participate in the costly
struggle that brought our present democracy into being.
He said the behaviour of the PDP-led government
towards Tambuwal was not decent and acceptable
under a president that has committed himself to uphold
the rule of law. “This crisis highlights the absolute
failure of the current PDP’s idea of government:
arrogant, indifferent and incompetent,” Atiku asserted.
The former Vice President regretted that abuse of
power by using state agents to harass, intimidate and
humiliate perceived opponents by the President was
not only capable of heating the polity on frightening
scale, but also carried the risks of polarizing and
politicizing security operatives in the country.
He reminded the President that he was elected to
uphold the Constitution of the country, and not to use
power arbitrarily against political opponents.
The former Vice President advised President Jonathan
to practice what he preaches by not heating up the
polity, an accusation he always directs at opposition
politicians.
“What is happening at the National Assembly taken
together with what unfolded today (Thursday) at the
Ekiti House of Assembly is totally strange. It is not the
democracy we fought for; for which many of our
compatriots paid for with their lives. These free-riders
should not be allowed to destroy what others built with
their sweat and blood.
“It is not too late, however, for President Jonathan to
pull the plug on these assaults to our democracy
because it is inconceivable that the show of shame at
the National Assembly is what he wanted as a birthday
present,” Atiku said.

POLITICS