By Paul Efiong, ABUJA – The decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, falls squarely within the pattern of executive lawlessness, PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has said.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Atiku posited that the behaviour was alien to democratic rule and more in line with that of a military dictator.
He enjoined Nigerians not to allow the decision to stand, saying “We must therefore remain vigilant in defense of our democracy.”
According to him, “with this attack on the judiciary, General Buhari has set a new precedent in our democracy that has no equivalence in our history, not even in the darkest days of military dictatorship. This cannot be allowed to stand.
The PDP candidate, noted “The serial disregard of court orders, and consequent violation of constitutionally guaranteed human rights of our citizens confirms beyond all doubt that General Buhari and his government would rather obey their own whims and operate by separate rules outside the well-established constitutional order and the rule of law.
“Without doubt, the fight against corruption is crucial to good governance and the progress of our country. In this context, the issue of corruption as it relates to the institution of the judiciary is even more crucial.
“The issue at stake is not whether the Chief Justice is guilty or not, but whether his removal from office has been done in accordance with the process specified in our constitution.
“As a democrat, I must say, without equivocation, that no mission or goal, no matter how noble or well intended, should be used as a pretext for the subversion of our democracy and our democratic institutions.
“To create a condition that allows the constitution and the rule of law to become secondary to any other agenda is to pave the way for tyranny. History is replete with odious dictators whose path to dictatorship started with statements of good intentions. We must therefore remain vigilant in defense of our democracy.
“We are all witnesses to how this government has serially assaulted the National Assembly, a separate arm of government that represents the bastion of our democracy.
“At this juncture, I must warn the APC government to desist from taking actions that may push us further down the slippery slope towards a major constitutional crisis that could derail the electoral process.”
Atiku called reminded Buhari that as a beneficiary of a free and fair election, “it is a matter of honour for him to allow a political environment and process that gives confidence to everyone.”
