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Governor Fayose, who said he was not disappointed by the President’s response during his media chat, to question on the disobedient of court orders by the Department of State Security (DSS), added that he had said it several times that once a dictator will always be a dictator and that those who helped him to power will end up in his gaol of dictatorship.
In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said he was aware of plot to muzzle him and others considered as non-conformists because of their opinion and critical stance on the President and his government, adding that; “such plot will definitely be counterproductive.”
He described the way and manner the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) was being treated by the federal government as the hallmark of a dictator. “I said it earlier that Buhari is a dictator and I warned several times that those that were promoting this lion will end up in its belly.
“Having heard from the President himself declaring Col Sambo Dasuki and Nnamdi Kanu guilty even before trial, Nigerians should be prepared for a return of the 1984 experience in which Buhari’s Military tribunal sentenced people to jail terms ranging from 21 to 300 years, such that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had to boycott the tribunal. Even when former Ondo state Governor, late Chief Michael Ajasin was twice cleared of any wrongdoing by Buhari’s military tribunals; he was made to remain in prison.
“Those who witnesses Buhari’s regime in 1984-1985 will still remember how the National Security Organisation (NSO) – now DSS broke up a press conference of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); detaining four of its officers, banned the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and other associations and arrested their leaders. Even those who were not arrested were watched and warned by the NSO.
“As it was in 1984 when an accused was presumed as guilty and must have to prove his innocence, Nigerians are now being told by Buhari, a democratically elected President that those he accused of corruption are already guilty and they do not have rights to enjoy bail granted them by the courts even after meeting all the bail conditions.
“That is enough a signal on what is to come in 2016 and the international community and lovers of democracy in Nigeria must be watchful of the level of human rights abuses that will be perpetrated by President Buhari. “However, I want to assure Buhari that democratic time will surely catch up with him because no dictator has ever succeeded in muzzling the rule of law, which is the basic ingredient of democracy,” the governor said.
While calling on Nigerians to brace up for more hardships to be occasioned by the federal government’s strange economic policies, Governor Fayose said; “With the President referring to Deutschmark and French Franc as still being in use in Germany and France, it is obvious that 1984 economic solutions will still be applied to Nigeria’s economic problems in 2016.”
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has claimed that the Presidential Media Chat hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday exposed his undemocratic character as an unrepentant tyrant who have no regard for the rule of law and the citizens of the country.
The National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Thursday, stated that Buhari confirmed his partisanship in the over hyped anti-graft war by publicly absolving his party and ministers of any corrupt practices.
The statement reads, “Whilst we restate our respect for the person and office of the President, we note that President Buhari bared his true colours to the world as an unrepentant tyrant. Today, the world is no longer in doubt as to who is behind the prevailing recklessness, abuse of rights of citizens and outright flouting of judicial pronouncements by security agencies.
“A situation where the President openly pronounced persons facing trial guilty and sanctioned their continued incarceration despite being granted bail by the courts, presents a dangerous fascist practice obtainable only in totalitarian societies like Mussolini’s Italy, Hitler’s Germany, Idi Amin’s Uganda and General Than Shwe’s Burma.
“This extremely shocking dictatorial tendency being brazenly exhibited by the President in total disdain for our laws and judicial institutions portends great danger for our democracy and constitutionally-guaranteed rights of the people, and should be resisted by the citizens before it festers.
“The scorn for the principle of separation of powers, especially the independence of the legislature, is further manifested in the declared craving to regulate the funding and running of the National Assembly, a matter constitutionally vested outside the jurisdiction of the executive. We are most uncomfortable about his attempt at trying to whip up public sentiments against an independent arm of government, especially the one vested with the constitutional power of appropriation.
“Following from the foregoing, therefore, it may be necessary to suspend the application of our Constitution and allow the President to operate as maximum ruler for four years after which the nation can return to a democracy.
“On the issue of the Chibok girls, President Buhari’s embarrassing declaration of seeking information on the whereabouts and state of the girls betrays an obvious insincerity which is in total conflict with his campaign promises in that regard. Thus by this declaration, our dear President has accepted failure on this issue and should therefore apologise to Nigerians for all the insults, abuse and aspersions cast on the past administration by himself and the leadership of his political party.
“On the issue of devaluation of the naira, there is an obvious conflict between the budget speech wherein the president stated that the government is assessing the foreign exchange rate with a view to attracting foreign investments and his categorical pronouncement during the media chat that the naira would not be devalued. We invite Nigerians to note that the president obviously does not understand the currency that applies in the devaluation of the naira.
“Furthermore, Nigerians were shocked by the President’s labeling Nigerians as ‘very difficult lot’ while responding to questions on the strategy to be adopted in implementing his promised N5,000 social welfare package.
“This unhealthy portrayal of the citizens by the very father of the nation, who has remained unrelenting in de-marketing his country through unguarded statements, is indeed a great disservice to Nigeria and its international image. Consequently, we reject this negative labeling of our citizens and reiterate our confidence in them, especially the millions who remain honest, hardworking and credible.
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“Finally,
Nigerians must take copious note of the fact that the President gave no
inspiring answers to questions pertaining to his campaign promises, the
fight against insurgency and rescue of the Chibok girls, the poor state
of the naira, sudden plunging of the economy under his watch, and the
gradual loss of democratic rights and freedom.”
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