PDP Rejects Buhari’s Executive Order No 6 as Descent to Fascism
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned as illegal, unconstitutional, reprehensible and a dangerous step towards a descent to fascism, the Asset Seizure Executive Order announced by President Muhammadu Buhari, in total disregard to the provisions of 1999 constitution.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party noted that the Nigerian constitution did not, under any section, confer such fascist powers on the President under our democracy and there could be no legitimate latitude of interpretation placed on sections 5 and 15 (5) of the 1999 Constitution cited as justifications for this draconian executive order, that can excuse it.
"Therefore, President Buhari’s unilateral Executive Order is a travesty of justice and rule of law, as it vehemently seeks to hijack and usurp the powers of both the legislature and the courts and vest it on himself so that he can use same at will, as a political instrument, to haunt, traumatise, harass and victimise perceived political opponents.
"In order words, Mr. President wants to change our democratic governance to a military regime,
in line with his lamentation, two days ago, that the fight against corruption will be better under a military regime than under a democracy.
"It is instructive to emphasise that the PDP is not in any way opposed to the fight against corruption. Rather, the party holds that the imposition of this Executive Order, which is radically at variance with the provisions of the constitution, is totally unacceptable.
"PDP takes this Executive Order 6 of 2018 as a reenactment of the obnoxious Decree 2 of 1984, which incidentally was also an enactment under then military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, and this must not be permitted in our current democratic dispensation.”
"If allowed, this Order will confer limitless powers on Mr. President, whose administration’s penchant for violation of rules and order already suggests a readiness for autocracy and a drive towards fascism.
The statement added: "In a democracy, the role of the executive arm of government is to enforce court orders/judgments handed down based on the interpretation of existing laws. Any suggestion to the contrary, as clearly intended by this Executive Order, is totally an aberration and inconsistent with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.