The forum of former speakers elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared support for the party’s move to take legal action against elected office holders who defected to other parties while holding their mandates.
While describing the move by the PDP leadership as essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy, the forum said the recent defections by some PDP members to the All Progressives Congress (APC) were a deliberate attempt by the ruling party to weaken the country’s multiparty democracy by intimidating opposition figures into submission.
The forum stated this in a communique, read by its chairman and former Speaker of Gombe State House of Assembly, Hon. Inuwa Garba, at the end of an emergency general meeting held in Abuja at the weekend.
The former PDP speakers warned of the APC’s growing attempts to impose a one-party system through intimidation and infiltration of opposition parties.
Following the detection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other state elected officials to the APC, the PDP acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, said the party will sue the defectors to retrieve the party’s mandate from the governor and the lawmakers.
Garba backed the move, saying, “The forum appreciates the party for taking legal action against defectors, especially those holding the party’s mandate in political offices.”
Garba, who currently represents Yamaltu/Deba Federal constituency in the House of Representatives, noted that all political stakeholders must mount pressure on the APC-led government to uphold internal democracy and respect the independence of political parties.
According to him, attempts to undermine opposition platforms through subtle interference are dangerous to Nigeria’s democratic future.
He said: “Nigeria is a country of more than 200 million people, diverse in social, religious and ethnic diversities from all zones. When a political party or government is trying to twist every political party to dance to its tune with intimidation or coercion to belong to one party in Nigeria, I don’t think that is good for Nigeria, and that is undemocratic.
“And looking at what is happening in the judiciary, it is like we have a government, we have a country, where the constitution is ineffective, because what steers the leadership of any government is rules and laws. We have a constitution in Nigeria, which, to an extent, is almost being sidelined by the key actors of the democracy itself.
“The difference between a military junta and a democratic government is, first of all, the constitution. And once the constitution is considered insignificant, democracy will lead to chaos.”
The forum also condemned the widespread insecurity in the country, particularly the killings in Benue, Plateau, and Borno States, and sympathised with the affected families.
“The forum appreciates the decision of the party to organise a national convention and asks them to stick to the date as scheduled.
We in the forum ask the party to organise a national retreat for major party stakeholders across the country to discuss the way forward as soon as possible.
“The forum calls on the opposition parties in the national assembly to be more united and organised to play their role as a viable opposition in Nigeria.
“The forum condemns in its entirety the spread of insecurity across the country, especially the recent killings in Benue, Plateau, Borno states and other parts of the country.
“The forum concurs with the government and families of the victims. The forum sympathises with Nigerians on the current serious economic hardship caused by the APC-led government and calls on the government to reconsider its economic policies to enhance the living standard of Nigeria,” the communique reads in parts.
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