Benue Assembly invasion: Nigeria's democracy held at gun point, says Turaki
- Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, said Nigeria's democracy is under threat
- He said this in reaction to report that eight lawmakers from the Benue House of Assembly served the state governor an impeachment notice
- Citing cases such as the massive deployment of policemen for the Ekiti state governorship election, Turaki described recent attacks on democracy as condemnable
Frontline Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has expressed apprehension about the survival of democracy in Nigeria.
Turaki made the comment while reacting to the invasion of the Benue state House of Assembly by armed policemen escorting eight lawmakers to perpetrate illegality.
Turaki, in a statement sent to Legit.ng, stated that Nigeria's democracy is being held at gun point by the federal government without remorse.
READ ALSO: Atiku reacts to plot to impeach Governor Ortom
In a statement entitled: Are we In A Democracy?, he described recent attacks on democracy as condemnable. He likened the situation to the massive deployment of policemen for the Ekiti state governorship election by the federal government using 30,000 personnel besides other security forces deployed for the exercise.
He recalled also the deployment of policemen on July 27 ostensibly to block the Benue state House of Assembly from performing its democratic duty of sitting in the legislative chamber.
Turaki recalled further the scandalous siege laid to the official residences of the Senate president and his deputy, with the probability of blocking them from going to the Senate chambers and having them impeached as being alleged.
He referred to another incident where policemen were suspiciously deployed to the Ekiti state House of Assembly for what they referred to as ‘security reasons’ with the Speaker denying ever making such a request.
READ ALSO: Benue APC lawmakers cite corruption allegations as reasons for serving Ortom impeachment notice
Turaki said now, those in possession of the instrument of coercion have done it again with the storming of the Benue state House of Assembly on Monday, July 30 where they deny entry to the speaker and 18 other members, while allowing entry to just seven members loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
These members in the minority, he alleged, were planning to impeach Governor Samuel Ortom in spite of the decided cases at the Supreme Court in the matters of former Oyo state governor, Rasheed Ladoja and ex-Plateau state governor, Joshua Dariye where the apex court had declared such moves as illegal, null and void.
“This strong arm tactics in a democracy had also been used to humiliate the judiciary," he added.
Turaki called on “men and women of goodwill, those who cherish the vision of Nigeria’s founding fathers and lovers of democracy all over the world to stand up and be counted to save the country from sliding into an undeserved anarchy being engineered by the APC.”
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Meanwhile, an APC lawmaker representing Kaduna Central at the National Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani, has condemned the invasion of the Benue state House of Assembly.
“Security men deployed to the House of Assembly should be withdrawn. The right of the governor and every Nigerian to belong to any political party should be respected . Respect my right to my choice even if you don’t believe in it,” he tweeted.
Nigeria News: Buhari Reacted To APC Senators’ Betrayal | Legit.ng TV
Source: Legit.ng
