Chuks Okocha in Abuja
As President Muhammadu Buhari is set to address the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in New York today, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the world body and other democratic institutions to query the President on the role of his administration in the escalation of terrorism, violation of rights, electoral malpractices, corruption, national division and economic ruin of Nigeria in the last six years.
The PDP noted that the sanctity of human lives, freedom, respect for human rights, justice and rule of law; credible elections, democratic governance promotion of peace, accountability in governance, economic development among others, which the General Assembly stood for had all been violated by the Buhari administration.
The party, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, urged the General Assembly not to lose sight of the reports by credible international organisations including the US Department of State as well as Amnesty International, (AI) on cases of arbitrary arrests and detention in dehumanising facilities, widespread extrajudicial killings, sudden disappearances of dissenting voices and disregard to rule of law under President Buhari’s watch.
“This is in addition to brazen disobedience to court orders, use of security forces to suppress citizens, media gagging, and systemic injustices that underscore the horrible situation in Buhari’s Nigeria, as also profiled by the International Criminal Court (ICC),” the PDP stated.
The opposition party, also, urged the General Assembly to question President Buhari on the failures and alleged compromises of the nation’s security coordination under his administration, leading to unabating mass killings, kidnapping, banditry, arson and marauding of communities across the nation, to the extent that Nigeria now ranked as the third country with the highest level of terrorism after Iran and Afghanistan.
The General Assembly was further called upon to take on President Buhari over his administration’s alleged provision of official cover for sponsors of terrorism in Nigeria, including those recently communicated to it by the United Arab Emirate (UAE) as well as a serving minister, who was openly indicted as an apologist of terrorism.
On abuse of human rights, the PDP urged the General Assembly to query President Buhari on the killing of innocent and unarmed protesters in various parts of our country by security forces under his command, particularly, the killing of young ones during the EndSARS protest in 2020.
The PDP urged the General Assembly and the international media to question Buhari on the erosion of constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech; the hounding of opposition and dissenting voices, clampdown on the media and suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.
On corruption, the party called on the General Assembly to query Buhari on the unbridled treasury looting going on in government agencies, including NNPC, NEMA, NPA, FIRS, NHIS, NIMASA and NDDC among others, where over N25 trillion naira had been reportedly stolen under Buhari’s watch.
According to the PDP, “President Buhari should explain to other world leaders why he had been condoning corruption by, according to him, ‘easing out’ treasury looters in his government instead of prosecuting them.
“Our party also urges the General Assembly to use the opportunity to extract commitment from President Buhari on the amendment of the Electoral Act to enable for electronic transmission of results as well as impress it on him to allow for free, fair and credible elections in 2023, the party said.
