Breaking: PDP Calls For Travel, Visa Ban On Buhari Over Alleged Subjudice

–Says Buhari Superintended Over Worse Election In Nigeria

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the international community to impose visa ban and travel restriction on President Muhammadu Buhari and members of his family when he leaves office on May 29.

The party also stated that President Buhari superintended over the worse elections in Nigeria’s history, and demanded an open investigation into the roles he allegedly played in the undermining of democracy in Nigeria in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections.

Buhari had on Thursday, told members of Progressive Governors’ Forum who visited him, that PDP and the Labour Party (LP) lost the 2023 presidential election due to over confidence and because they over trusted their foreign sponsors.

PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, described the statement as reckless, unpresidential and subjudice, which he said, is already causing apprehension and capable of destroying Nigeria’s corporate existence.

Ologunagba noted that the statement revealed the president’s utter disregard to the Nigeria’s democracy, judiciary and the will of the people as expressed at the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

“It is, to say the least, reprehensible for Mr. President to posture and gloat over the trampling of the will of Nigerians, blame the opposition for being overconfident and, according to him, for not being ‘tactical’, perhaps enough to outwit the violence, brutality, threats, suppression of voters, rigging and election manipulations by the APC and the government which he heads.

“It is unpardonable that President Buhari, who swore to uphold the laws of our country and made several commitments to the world to ensure free, fair, credible and transparent election, is rather in approval of election rigging through manifest compromise of INEC system and wide-spread alteration, falsification and switching of election results in favour of his rejected party, the APC.

“President Buhari is practically gloating over the undermining of democracy by INEC which refused to transmit directly results from the polling units to its server/website and announce same, in total violation of the express provisions of section 64 sub-section 4 (a) (b) of the Electoral Act, 2022,” he stated.

The PDP spokesperson alleged that the February 25 presidential election was adjudged by both local and international observers as the worst in the nation’s history.

He stated thatthe election was marred by violation of the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regulations and guidelines.

According to him, the process was manipulated, genuine results from polling units altered and fabricated figures announced, to favour the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The damning reports by election observers and the pervading international contempt against Nigeria since the declaration of the APC candidate as president-elect are ominous testaments that he does not have the mandate of majority of Nigerians derivable only from a credible electoral process,” he said.

Ologunagba stated that PDP and its presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, are already at the tribunal, adding that Nigerians and the international community were “appalled and scandalised by the careless, unguarded and subjudice comment by President Buhari in which he attempted to justify the rigging of the February 25, 2023 presidential election by the APC under his watch.

“More distressing is that after superintending over the rigging of the election, President Buhari, by his subjudice comments apparently seeks to bully, blackmail and influence the judiciary and the outcome of the petition pending before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, so as to allow his party, the APC and its candidate to ‘grab, snatch and run’ with the people’s mandate.”

He added that President Buhari, by his subjudice statement is interfering in electoral process, ostensibly to influence the outcome and undermine the constitutionally laid down procedures for change of government.

The PDP spokesperson advised the president to be circumspect and allow the judicial process to proceed without further undue interference and bullying by him.