PRESS STATEMENT

November 9th, 2008

CONSOLIDATING ONE PARTY DICTATORSHIP

 PRESIDENT YARADUA VARIANT

Whereas Nigerians and friends of Nigeria, like Baroness Linda Chalka are lamenting over the ineptitude and go-slow metaphor of Yaradua regime; President Umaru Musa Yaradua is covertly consolidating the slide of Nigerian democracy into One- Party-Dictatorship.

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Conference of Nigeria Political Parties {CNPP}, after a quarterly state of the nation meeting, reviewed the erosion of vital institutions of democracy and came to the inevitable conclusion that the poisoned chalice of dictatorship and Do-or-Die political culture the ex-president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo planted in Nigeria is brazenly being consolidated by President Umaru Musa Yaradua. This is inspite of his rule of law mantra, which is an orchestra of deception. We base our findings on the following premise:

a} Manipulation of the Judiciary

b} Erosion of Parliamentary Powers

c}Assault and Censorship of the Press

On manipulation of the Judiciary, we are witnesses to how Justice James Ogebe was elevated from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court by President Yaradua, as a reward for a warped presidential election petition judgment; this is in addition to manipulation of election petitions at various levels after the 2007 sham election. Records of how the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Umaru Abdullahi, used Justice Bulkachuwa and cohorts to deliver judgments that did not serve the course of justice are enlisted in the hall of infamy.

In the midst of allegations of pressure mounted on the Justices of the Supreme Court presidential election panel and when we are eagerly waiting for the Supreme Court judgment on the presidential election petition, a member of the panel of seven Justices, Justice Dahiru Mustapha was appointed by President Yaradua as a member of Federal Government delegation to 2008 Hajj. It is our considered view that this appointment is against natural justice, fairness and due process, for there are other justices of the Supreme Court, who are not members of the panel, who if decency and rule of law is adhered to, could have been so appointed if the Supreme must be represented.

We regard this appointment as inducement and manipulation and thus warn that if President Yaradua succeeds in manipulating the Supreme Court to rule in his favour, it is good-bye to democracy. History has shown that if the people’s confidence in the judiciary is eroded in a democracy, people are forced to self help and the magnitude of crisis is better imagined.

Secondly, the powers of the parliament in a democracy cannot be overemphasized, as per making laws for the peace, order and good government and indeed actualization of the doctrine of separation of powers, provision of checks and balances, in order words oversight functions; as enshrined in Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Our assessment is that President Yaradua is covertly eroding and whittling down the powers of the National Assembly and same puppet Assembly is the order of the day in the 36 States of the Federation.

Permit us to mention a few instances; the Appropriation Budget Act of 2008 has been violently violated and so was the remaining 2007 Appropriation Budget Act he met. We were appalled when President Yaradua told the nation that he recovered over N400 Billion from the unspent funds of the 2007 Appropriation Budget.

The question is, of what use is the recovery of monies appropriated for the construction of Ibadan-Ilorin, Gombe-Maiduguri and Onitsha-Owerri , Lagos-Benin, Lokoja-Abuja  roads; when these roads are in bad shape and indeed death-traps, which contractors are unpaid? Do we need to mention the confusion and uncertainty that bedeviled the 2008 Budget? What of the Rail project abandoned outright?

Information reaching us points to the sordid allegation, that there is an unholy alliance between President Yaradua and Speaker Dimeji Bankole, to bury the Power Probe Report and prevent it from being tabled for debate by the Federal House Representatives. That is why till date members of the House are yet to receive copies, months after the sound and fury that characterized the power probe. In many instances President Yaradua is fingered in obstructing tacitly any probe of ex-president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and his ex-governors colleagues.

How do you reconcile the appointment of a Speaker; as the leader of the Federal Government  Hajj delegation, when vital legislative functions of urgent national importance and the 2008 Budget and its Supplementary addendum, are not fully concluded less than one month into the 2008 fiscal year?

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 We had thought that if there is no ulterior motive; the Speaker has enough on his table than a ceremonial role of Amirul-Hajj? We therefore rate this appointment of  the Speaker by President Yaradua as diversionary tactics to shield and protect ex-president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Speaker himself embattled  with his hand in the pie of peugeot-gate boiling in the House.

In the actual sense of the word, is someone who is accused of embezzlement, qualified to head a religious delegation to the holy land? That’s the tragedy of President Yaradua’s poor judgment, ineptitude and corruption. Where is the piety?

Thirdly, we wish to inform Nigerians that the Fourth Estate of the realm is under intense Censorship and assault; as the draconian Decree No 4 is back on the public domain, through other than noble means.

 In the past 17 months, we are witnesses how the Channels television was brutally shut and journalist harassed, yet up to date, the despot is yet to disclose the findings of security agencies, over the News Agency of Nigeria Report, that Channels and AFP aired. Online journalists Jonathan Elendu and one other were detained unlawfully and today the famous FOCUS programme of the AIT television has been banned, by the Yaradua regime. Leadership newspaper is being harangued for reporting the President’s ill health; we hope public fund will not be used to pay lawyers. Thus signaling the dangerous phase of One Party Dictatorship and Do-or-Die politics.

No wonder why President Yaradua, who told the world that the war against corruption is his war;  is today paradoxically leading the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP}, in a monumental corruption drive to raise N10 billion; for the building of the national secretariat of the party. Reports indicate that each of the 28 Governors of the PDP stable, has been directed by the national chairman of the party, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor,  to raise minimum of N50 million.

We challenge the anti-graft agencies to investigate the ongoing sleaze of public funds in the name of funding a party that has become the tragedy of Nigerian democracy. We cannot allow the PDP to rule Nigeria for 60 years through unbridled corruption.

CNPP consequently, calls on Nigerians to guide their lions for the battle to salvage our democracy from the hands of the new despot on the blocs; as more draconian manipulation of the judiciary, erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers and assault of the press are in President Yaradua’s cards.

Osita Okechukwu

National Publicity Secretary

CNPP

08039738870