‘Fascism taking over Nigeria’s democracy’ — PDP rejects FG’s travel ban

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has kicked against the placement of a travel ban on some high profile Nigerians.

The party described the action as a “draconian step” targeted at opposition parties and those perceived to be averse to Buhari’s re-election bid.

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, had announced on Saturday that at least 50 Nigerians being probed for alleged corruption have been placed on a watch list.

Reacting via a statement, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesman, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive is a “clampdown on the country’s democratic order and an overthrow of rights of citizenry as guaranteed by the 1999 constitution”.

“We hope this is not a ploy to harm certain eminent Nigerians on the claims of resisting travel restrictions,” the PDP said in the statement.

“The whole world can now see how fascism is fast taking over our democracy and judicial system and how the Buhari administration, by fiat, has directly ordered that citizens be secretly trailed.

“Their movements and financial transactions are restricted by government agencies, without recourse to due process of the law.”

Ologbondiyan said the presidency has gone into “panic mode” since the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the PDP presidential candidate.

He called on the international community to monitor the situation and “take note should any harm befall any opposition leader, key members of the business community and religious leaders across the country”.