It’s the Advent of Full Blown Fascist Rule, says PDP

In what is interpreted as a move to circumscribe the rights of movement of key opposition figures and facilitate the victory of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2019 general election, the Federal Government has placed a foreign travel ban on no fewer than 50 high profile persons directly affected by Executive Order 6 (EO6). The affected persons are already on the watch-list and are restricted from leaving the country pending the determination of their cases.

Malam Garba Shehu, senior special assistant (SSA) to the President on Media and Publicity, who confirmed this development in Abuja at the weekend, said this development followed the instant judicial affirmation of the constitutionality and legality of the EO6.

But the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has stridently rejected this move, said it is an “attempt by the Buhari Presidency to foist a full-blown fascism on our country, beginning with the placement of illegal travel restrictions on Nigerians.”

The party in a statement signed by Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, its publicity secretary, said “this draconian step is clearly targeted at members of the opposition parties, perceived political enemies of President Muhammadu Buhari, well-meaning Nigerians, including members of the business community, religious leaders, former political leaders and traditional rulers, who are perceived to be averse to President Buhari’s re-election bid.”

Shehu said President Buhari has mandated the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to implement the Order in full force.

“To this end, a number of enforcement procedures are currently in place by which the Nigeria Immigration Service and other security agencies have placed no fewer than 50 high profile persons directly affected by EO6 on watch-list and restricted them from leaving the country pending the determination of their cases.

“Also, the financial transactions of these persons of interest are being monitored by the relevant agencies to ensure that the assets are not dissipated and such persons do not interfere with, nor howsoever corrupt the investigation and litigation processes.”

“It is instructive to note that EO6 was specifically directed to relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure that all assets within a minimum value of N50 million or equivalent, subject to investigation or litigation are protected from dissipation by employing all available lawful means, pending the final determination of any corruption-related matter,’’ he added.

Shehu said the Buhari administration had reassured all well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians of its commitment to the fight against corruption, in accordance with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the general principles of the Rule of Law.

He, therefore, maintained that the administration would uphold the rule of law in all its actions as well as protect the right of citizens as guaranteed by the Constitution.

“We, therefore, enjoin all Nigerians to cooperate with the law enforcement authorities towards ensuring a successful implementation of the Executive Order 6 which is a paradigm-changing policy of the Federal Government in the fight against corruption,’’ he said.

The PDP however notes that this “decree” is a direct clampdown on our democratic order and an overthrow of rights of our citizenry as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“We hope this is not a ploy to harm certain eminent Nigerians on the claims of resisting travel restrictions. The whole world can now see how fascism is fast taking over our democracy and judicial system and how the Buhari administration, by fiat, has directly ordered that citizens be secretly trailed, their movements and financial transactions restricted by government agencies, without recourse to due process of the law.”

While the PDP quipss that the Buhari Presidency has gone into panic mode since the popular emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as PDP presidential candidate and the spontaneous jubilation his emergence has evoked across the country, the party maintains that the resort to total clamp down on the opposition and our supporters will be totally unacceptable.

“What this means is that all Nigerians, particularly, opposition members, members of the business community and religious leaders, have become endangered and stand the risk of state violence under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.”

“The PDP therefore alerts the international community to hold the Buhari Presidency responsible should any harm befall any opposition leader, key members of the business community and religious leaders across the country as we march towards the 2019 general elections,” the statement said.

“Finally, the repositioned PDP invites all to note how the APC and the Buhari Presidency are pushing our nation to the brinks but restates that no amount of intimidation, harassment and foisting of fascism will deter Nigerians from their determination to rally on the platform of the PDP to oust the incompetent, anti-people and repressive APC administration, come 2019,” the party concluded.