Pascal Arogorn Ibe
THE ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned last Wednesday’s attack on Capitol Hill by supporters of outgoing United States President, Donald Trump.
The APC, in a statement signed by National Secretary Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John J. Akpan Udoedehe said President Trump has a lot to learn from President Muhammadu Buhari’s respect for rule of law and due process.
Condemning the invasion of the Parliament by supporters of outgoing President Trump and candidate of the Republican Party in the US last presidential election, the APC recalled that “President Muhammadu Buhari contested and lost elections a couple of times and followed the process through to the Supreme Court on all accounts. This is an outstanding credential of a true democrat.”
Apparently faulting the statement attributed to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Kola Ologbodiyan, that the ruling APC must take a leaf from the [book of the] United States’ deference to its democratic institutions which have survived over the years, the APC argued that President Buhari has shown capacity to build more lasting institutions to build Nigeria’s democracy and its economy than 16 years of the PDP.
“Upon ultimately gaining victory in 2015, the APC-led administration has carried out fundamental reforms to strengthen our institutions.
“For instance, non-interference in the functions of INEC. The APC has contested elections; won some, lost some without splitting hairs. In fact, at some point the APC lost over five states to the PDP, yet we allowed democracy to prevail.
“We have remained resolute in our belief that in every electoral contest, popular will must prevail,” he said.
“This is a far-cry from the days of the do-or-die politics of PDP, where civilians took control of the security apparatus to subvert the people’s will and determine the outcome of elections.
“Electoral reform is a core plank of the programmes of the APC-led administration and a legacy that the President has promised to bequeath to Nigerians.
“Other institutional reforms include the excision of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and inauguration subsequently by Mr. President, as advised by the EGMONT GROUP, to eliminate the siphoning of Local Government funds and to entrench financial autonomy for local government Councils in Nigeria.
“Recall that successive PDP governments rejected local government autonomy which hitherto encouraged undue interference in the running of local government administration by state governments and was linked to restiveness among the youth.
“The signing into law by Mr. President on May 2020, of “the Executive Order No. 10 of 2020 for the implementation of Financial autonomy of State Legislatures and State judiciaries and other related matters” is a bold statement on institutional reforms. These are aimed at strengthening these institutions. When they are financially independent, then they can be firm and fair in their decisions.
“Politics should not be allowed to overshadow policies. We urge the PDP, especially their governors to show bi-partisanship in supporting all the sectoral reforms being initiated by Mr. President for the benefit of Nigerians,” he said.
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