Democracy in Danger Under President Buhari

The Izon Diaspora Commission IDC, wishes to alert Nigerians and our international friends of the grave danger being posed to our democracy and indeed the survival of our nation by an increasingly intolerant APC government led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

We have keenly watched over the past months, how President Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign has been used by the incumbent administration, to bare its fangs on members of the opposition, particularly those, with close ties to former President of the country, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, with a series of arbitrariness and undemocratic behaviours that threatens our democracy.

It is sad that despite the victory of the APC in the last election and the unimaginable decision of former President Jonathan to congratuklate the winner, President Buhari and his party, are yet to imbibe such spirit and events of the recent times in Nigeria, have shown that the President Buhari led federal government has become so desperate to capture other states controlled by the opposition PDP at all cost, that it is willing to do anything, to manipulate the will of the people, as we saw during the last governorship election in Bayelsa state.

Most recent and embarrassing, is the Military like manner, in which the home of a foremost leader of the Izon nation, King Amalate J. Turner was invaded by men of the Department of States Security DSS, without any search warrant nor reason adduced to the Gestapo like operation at King Turner’s home till date. We are not unaware that President Buhari sees King Turner as a close associate of President Jonathan and the ongoing probe of election funding that the current administration is masquerading as arms fund probe is now being targeted at Dr. Jonathan himself.

May we remind President and his party, of the historic role played by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and traditional leaders like King Turner, in the restoration of peace to the once volatile oil producing region of the South South, which today remains the economic lifeline of our country.

As a people, we are no longer ready to continually see our institutions being violated for the sake of politics. Elections are over and the President should by now preoccupy himself with business of delivering the dividends of democracy to Nigerians, who are earnestly waiting to see the change promised by the APC led government.

We also urge all the good people of our dear nation to speak out against these acts of intolerance and impunity, as we appeal to our international friends to also condemn this growing impunity by the ruling party and the government it controls at the centre. Actions have consequences, and whoever fails to condemn the acts of impunity being perpetrated by the central government will not have the moral right to condemn the reactions that such actions may elicit.

Signed:
Ambassador Baratuipre Jonah
President, IDC