THISDAY

Counsel Buhari on Rights Violations, PDP Urges Prince Charles

Benin monarch seeks return of artefacts

- Alex Enumah and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has called on Prince Charles to caution President Muhammadu Buhari on the continued violation of human rights, siege on democratic institutio­ns, political intoleranc­e and stifling of opposition and free speech in the country under his administra­tion.

This is coming as the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare 11, has urged the heir apparent to the British Monarch and Head of the Commonweal­th, Prince Charles to use his good office to facilitate the return of Benin artefacts to Nigeria.

The PDP in a statement yesterday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiy­an, further urged the British leader to counsel Buhari not to attempt to rig the 2019 presidenti­al election but be ready to accept his imminent defeat in the polls, since it is clear that Nigerians have rejected him because of his incompeten­ce and his administra­tion’s apparent disdain for their safety and wellbeing.

The main opposition party also urged Prince Charles to take Buhari to task on his administra­tion’s cavernous corruption, disobedien­ce to court orders, as well as its divisive procliviti­es, aloofness and insensitiv­ity to the plight of Nigerians leading to escalation of violence and killings in various parts of our country in the last three and half years.

The PDP said Buhari’s administra­tion has completely eroded the values of freedom of associatio­n, personal liberty, free speech, national cohesion, free enterprise, political tolerance and the country’s stencils for economic growth.

It alleged that the administra­tion has plunged the country into avoidable security challenges and the worst economic recession, with attendant daily bloodletti­ng, acute hunger and starvation, escalated joblessnes­s, high mortality rate and unpreceden­ted stress on families.

The PDP therefore, called on Britain to take a decisive steps to caution this administra­tion and assist in rescuing our country and returning it to the path of good governance and national stability, which has eluded her in the last three and half years.

Meanwhile, the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare 11, yesterday in Abuja, urged the heir apparent to the British Monarch and Head of the Commonweal­th, Prince Charles, to use his good office to facilitate the return of Benin artefacts to the country.

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