Ekiti state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned Tuesday’s blockade of the National Assembly complex by security operatives who prevented some federal legislators from entering their offices.
The PDP said what the men of the Department of State Services (DSS) allegedly did at the National Assembly amounted to desecration of the legislature, which it described as a potent arm of government that lubricates and supports the executive for good governance as well as gives efficiency to government’s policies.
The party also hailed the sacking of the Director-General of DSS, Lawal Daura, saying his actions since assuming the top security seat in 2015 have been dogged with controversies, accusing the ex-security chief of always acting in a way that could erode the country’s democratic foundation.
Speaking with newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, the PDP chairman in Ekiti state, Barrister Gboyega Oguntuase, said it was a national disgrace for masked DSS operatives to have blocked the National Assembly and prevented elected officials from performing their duties.
Oguntuase, who spoke through the party’s state Publicity Secretary, Jackson Adebayo , said the leadership of the Senate that were prevented from entering the chambers were called by the Senate President to interface with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu on the 2019 general elections.
“Since inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government in 2015, the DSS has been acting like politicians . under many circumstances, the DSS under Lawan Daura has put democracy on trial and Nigerians need to act fast to prevent our democracy from being truncated by desperate individuals.
“It is not only a desecration of the legislative arm for the chambers to be put under security siege, but a slap on Nigerians for those they took a whole day, staying inside sun and rain to elect to have been that disrespected under the guise of protecting few Senators who were desperate to oust the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki.
“The National Assembly is a national symbol that deserves honour and respect of all institutions, particularly the security outfits. The situation was so bad to the extent that the Clerk of both chambers and staff were prevented from entering to perform the tasks for which they were being paid with tax payers’ money.
“How would Nigerians look in the international community for 30 Senators to have sat and remove Senator Saraki, when the constitution was explicit that 2/3 majority is required to do such bidding?
“Removing the cloak of politicking from DSS has become a serious burden to all Nigerians, because protecting the democracy we got after fighting the military for so years , causing deaths of many priceless Nigerians is a task that must be achieved, it is no longer PDP or APC issue, it is about our collective destiny as a nation,” he stated.
Speaking further on Daura’s ouster, Oguntuase said: “We thank God that the ring leader of the dangerous cartel in DSS, Mr. Daura had been sacked. It could have been dangerous and harmful to us as a nation , for him to stay a day longer on that seat , because it was clear that he had made himself available for hatchet’s jobs.
“So, PDP as a political party is happy about the FG’s position and we congratulate Nigerians for this bold step, for it will go a long way in protecting our democracy from total desecration and collapse,” the PDP leader asserted.
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