Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the
house of representatives, says those who swore to defend and protect the
country’s democracy have set it on fire.
In a statement on Saturday,
Dogara said the suspension of Walter Onnoghen, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN),
by President Muhammadu Buhari is a notice to the world that “Nigeria is now a
full-blown dictatorship.”
The speaker said no provision in
sections 157 and 292 of the constitution supports Buhari’s action.
“This did not come as a rude
shock except to those who have been blind to the gradual but progressive
erosion of democratic values in the polity as President Buhari’s government has
never hidden its disdain for the rule of law,” he said.
“We have watched in disbelief as
the Government recklessly deploys institutional prerogatives; routinely flouts
the rule of law; subverts and assaults democratic Institutions; refuses to
accept opponents as legitimate; suppresses citizens civil liberties(especially
those of opponents) and trample underfoot the media. In short, the Government’s
tyrannical and authoritarian credentials are loathsomely legendary.
“The whole idea of a limited
government is that the President’s powers is limited by law and it is ultra
vires his powers to act in the absence of explicit legislative authorisation.
That is representative democracy at its best which our 1999 Constitution as
amended guarantees.
“It is instructive to note that
our constitution does not contemplate or presupposes a situation whereby the
Judiciary will have a suspended CJN and an acting CJN at the same time.
Therefore, it is right to posit, as some have done that the President now has
his own Chief Judge to do his bidding while Nigeria has a sitting CJN until he
is removed in line with the provisions of the Constitution.
“As of today, Nigeria is now
Germany in the wake of the 1933 Reichstag fire. Our democracy is on fire;
ignited by the very people who swore to protect and defend it.
“That this fire must not convert
the chancellor to Fuhrer as it happened in Germany in 1933 depends on our
collective response and that of the international community. We must not bow
our knees to dictatorship: not now, not ever again.”
Dogara added that the world must
not allow “this unmitigated disaster” in Nigeria.
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