The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council has suspended its presidential campaign in protest against the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, by President Muhammadu Buhari.
A statement Saturday by the Co-Chairman of the campaign council and the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, described Buhari’s action as a “dangerous and brazen assault on the constitution” as speculation emerged in the media that the suspension was hurried to stop today’s planned inauguration of judges chosen to participate in hearing election petitions.
The media has by Saturday morning been stopped from gaining access into the home of the suspended CJN.
The PDP statement which follows nationwide condemnation of the unprecedented action by the president, added that there was no point in campaigning to contest in an election, whose very basis has been so flagrantly undermined.
He stressed that the action of Buhari represents a constitutional breach and a direct attack on the country’s democracy, noting that this must never be allowed to stand, as there is no way by which democracy could survive under these autocratic tendencies.
The PDP Campaign Council further predicated the suspension of its campaign activities on its solidarity with Nigerians’ collective rejection of the assault against our democratic order.
He said: “The basis for this election is the democracy itself. When democracy comes under this kind of virulent attack, then the election itself becomes superfluous.
“In the first instance, we are suspending our campaign for 72 hours. It is our hope that President Buhari will listen to the voice of all lovers of democracy the world over and restore democracy in Nigeria immediately and without qualifications.
At the moment, the President has effectively suspended the constitution under whose basis the elections are being contested.”
The PDP Presidential Campaign was scheduled to be in Benue State on Saturday. But it now said it was suspending its campaign activities for a period of 72 hours in the first instance.
According to a source said, “there are a total of 250 members who would sit on the election panels. The panels comprise National Assembly Election Petition Tribunals, Governorship Election Petition Tribunals, and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunals.
“His sudden removal was aimed at either stopping the event or removing some judges on the lists. That is what will happen.”
It was gathered that judges that would make the panels had arrived Abuja, with the hope that they would be inaugurated on Saturday.
