The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of turning Nigeria into a “full authoritarian state,” citing alleged erosion of democratic institutions, suppression of dissent and weakening of checks and balances.
The PDP made the allegation in a statement signed by its
National Publicity Secretary, Interim National Working Committee, Ini
Ememobong, on Saturday.
The statement reads in full, “The report by the Human Rights
Foundation, in its latest global assessment, classifying Nigeria as a fully
authoritarian regime is a mere global confirmation of the local reality that
Nigerians have been facing under the APC-led Federal Government. The report
confirms the faulty electoral process, absence of protection for dissent,
erosion of democratic safeguards and the obvious collapse of checks and
balances on the executive by critical national institutions.
“The report published on the foundation’s Tyranny Tracker
platform, tyrannytracker.org, shows that the country performed abysmally low on
all the critical pillars of its assessment, indicating a full descent into
authoritarianism, which is incompatible with democratic tenets.
“It is worthy of note that the assessment parameters of the
foundation align with the theoretical frameworks that have identified, analysed
and condemned authoritarian regimes-being the rule by a dictator and a small
group, or a single party; the absence of institutional checks and balances;
loss or apprehension of freedom of speech; opposition targeting; and weak and
fake elections.
“It does not take any high degree of intelligence for
anybody to agree with the report, because all the indicators of
authoritarianism are present in Nigeria, under this Tinubu regime.
“A few examples from the numerous anomalies experienced by
Nigerians will suffice here-the recent deployment of uncivilised and uncouth
media attacks by officials of the administration to attack Cardinal Onaiyekan,
the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, the Catholic Church and
Christianity generally.
“This incident is one of many which eloquently attest to the
absence of freedom of speech under this administration. What did the cleric say
that is not the lived experience of Nigerians, except, of course, the few who
are isolated from reality and their paid human megaphones?
“The complete failure of the National Assembly to offer any
form of meaningful checks to the executive is not a secret-else how could an
administration fail to execute the Appropriation Act for three years, and yet
that administration gets commendation, instead of condemnation, from the
legislature? A parliament that ignores or blatantly disrespects the country’s
constitution and its own standing rules during critical legislative activities
cannot offer credible oversight of the executive.
“What is left, which the administration has doubled down on,
is the fact that the 2027 elections are designed as a mere formality, far from
reflecting the people’s wishes through the ballot.
“We call on the Tinubu APC administration to immediately
take critical steps to de-escalate the political tensions emanating from
actions traceable to their officials and their proxies, in the interest of the
survival of democracy.
“The continuous asphyxiation of the opposition, clear
weaponisation of security agencies against real and perceived opponents,
increasing signs of partisanship by the electoral umpire, and reckless
deployment of combustible political rhetoric by the President and his handlers
should cease.
“The President must realise that there are two contests
embedded in the 2027 Presidential elections-the presidency and the country. An
attempt to focus on winning the former at all costs may result in the loss of
the latter; and only a free, fair, credible and peaceful contest can guarantee
a win for both coveted prizes.
“We urge Nigerians to continue to demand accountability from
their leaders at all levels, as this is the irreducible minimum that democracy
provides.”
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