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Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has lamented the destruction
of the Legislative and Judicial arms of government by the government
of President Muhammadu Buhari, raising the alarm that “democracy in
Nigeria is under serious threat, with the constitution appearing to
have been suspended.”
The governor said; “The once respected National Assembly and Judiciary
have been so badly blackmailed such that for the first time in the
history of Nigeria, functionaries of the executive arm of government
now hold the two arms of government with contempt, treating them as if
they do not exist. Even those who invaded the senate and took away the
Mace are being protected by President Buhari and his men.”
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and
New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose, who described the
Legislative and Judicial arms as the pillar of democracy, said; “Even
when Nigeria was under military rule, our judiciary was not this
ridiculed, with the government choosing which court judgment to obey
and which one to ignore.”
The governor pointed out that; “President Buhari’s persistent refusal
to obey court orders, refusal of the his men to obey summons by the
National Assembly and most importantly the withdrawal of $496 million
from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) without approval of the National
Assembly and inspite of pending court case are indications that the
constitution has been suspended and Nigeria returned to full-fledged
dictatorship.”
Governor Fayose described the Senate President, Bukola Saraki as the
most subdued National Assembly leader in the history of Nigeria,
saying; “Should President Buhari succeeds with his second term bid, no
one should bother going to the National Assembly because he will rule
like a feudal lord, with general authority over other Nigerians.”
“Democracy is endangered when the executive arm of government goes
about demonizing the Judiciary as being corrupt and the National
Assembly tagged as a gathering of rascals who are contributing nothing
to governance. Unfortunately, that is what the Legislative and
Judicial arms have suffered under this government.
“In disobedience to court order that they should be released, the
leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, and his
wife, Zeenat, have been detained for more than two years without
trial.
“Also, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) has been in detention for over two
years even when many courts in Nigeria and the ECOWAS Court have
ordered for his release.
“Several resolutions made by the National Assembly have been ignored,
including ones bothering on the welfare of Nigerians. Statutory
appointments that require Senate confirmation are now being made
unilaterally. Even those whose nominations were rejected by the Senate
are still holding the same offices for which their nominations were
rejected.
“Lovers of democracy in Nigeria should therefore be worried and the
international community must intervene and prevail on the President to
allow democratic institutions to function in the country,” the
governor said.