The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the sack of erstwhile
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and
former Director General of Nigerian Intelligent Agency (NIA) Ayo Oke.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dayo Adeyeye, the
PDP said the sack of the two top government functionaries is “totally
unacceptable”.
He demanded the immediate impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Party described the statement on the sack of Lawal and Oke, as a slap on the face of Nigerians.
It said the sack “is an insult on the-collective intelligence of our
people who have waited patiently for the President’s reaction on the
humongous act of corruption by two of his principal aides and this is
totally unacceptable.
“First and foremost, we had disagreed with the President last year
when he decided to setup the panel headed by the Vice President,
Professor Yemi Osinbajo to investigate the matter because we thought
that was the wrong course of action to take. Ordinarily, cases of
corruption or alleged cases of misappropriation of funds are supposed to
be referred to institutions that are saddled with the responsibility to
investigate and prosecute such matters which is the ICPC and the EFCC
if there is any prima facie case against them.
“But it appears not all animals are equal under the Buhari APC
administration . some people are treated with kid gloves while others
particularly those in opposition are subjected to all manner of
harrowing experiences. One of the Senators of the APC, Senator Shehu
Sani of Kaduna State succinctly put the matter when he said that this
administration uses deodorant to fight corruption when it comes to some
APC members and President Buhari’s kitchen Cabinet and insecticides when
it involves members of the opposition and those in the National
Assembly.
“It took the President almost one year to attend to this matter while
the culprits were having a field day at home and enjoying themselves.
Whereas, in the case of the opposition especially the PDP members, even
when the evidence is flimsy they will be visited with multiple
harassment and intimidation for months and weeks without proper trial.
“We cite the case of Sambo Dasuki who has been in detention for over
two years and running even when many courts in Nigeria and the Ecowas
Court have ordered for his release, but the President has fragrantly
disobeyed these court orders which again are a violation of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is an impeachable
offence. So the President cannot just sack Ayo Oke and Babachir Lawal
and expects us to be clapping for him.
“We believe that we are operating under a democracy and a
Constitution that governs our affairs. To have subjected these people to
different sets of rule and treatment is totally unacceptable. Nigerians
are the same under the law and Babachir Lawal and Ayo Oke should not be
tried by the Presidency while others are hounded by the EFCC and ICPC.
“These actions of Mr. President are therefore a breach of his oath of
office which he swore to defend the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria and to be fair and just to all Nigerians without any
discrimination whatsoever. The action of the President is a gross
violation of his constitutional oath and therefore constitutes a
veritable ground for impeachment .Using and applying different laws to
different people in the country is a direct assault on the constitution
and the rule of law . Consequently, we call on the National Assembly to
begin processes to impeach the President for breach of the Constitution
and fragrance disobedient to the laws of Nigeria.
“We totally reject these actions and the law should follow its full
course on the issues of these officers. In other words, their case
should be referred to the EFCC for proper investigation and trial, more
so when the President has not told us what the report of the findings
was. Nigerians are entitled to know the findings of the panel headed by
the Vice President. The report should be made public since it is the
people’s money that is involved.
“The President has by his actions taken Nigeria to the level of a
banana republic. We are not in a banana republic, this is the Federal
Republic of Nigeria . Three successive governments of the PDP did not
act in the manner President Buhari is acting.
“There is no doubt that the sudden sack of the SGF and the DG of NIA
is just a consequence of the backlash on the Abdulrasheed Maina saga. Up
till now there’s no answer to the pertinent questions we have asked on
the Maina saga. The government cares less about the feelings and
opinions of Nigerians. This kind of arrogance is unprecedented in the
history of this county. We again call for the arrest and investigation
of the two Ministers involved in the return of Maina into the Civil
Service, that is, the Minister of Interior, Bello Dambazau and Abubakar
Mallami , the Attorney General of the Federation & Minister of
Justice.”