Lekki tollgate: Wake up from slumber, PDP tells Buhari

THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to wake up from his slumber to address the rising spate of insecurity across the country. 

This follows the arrest of some #OccupyLekkiTollGate protesters today during the peaceful demonstration at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos.  The protest was staged to challenge the plan reopening of the toll gate, which has gained global attention as the site of the infamous shooting incident of October 20 last year in the course of the #EndSARS protest.

Reports say over 20 protesters were arrested on this morning over the protest at the Lekki tollgate. Though the state commissioner on a radio programme today, CityTalks with Dr Reuben Abati, said the protesters were “peacefully arrested” by the police, video clips that have since gone viral show that the arrested youths were maltreated; stripped to their trousers and stuff in a vehicle.

The condition they were seen has been variously described as a form of dehumanisation, and a continuation of police brutality, which was the cause of the #EndSARS protest of last year.

The PDP, in a statement issued today, signed by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, called for “urgent” action to restore the unity of Nigeria.

President Buhari must end the divisive tendencies of his administration without further delay, said PDP in its statement.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expresses deep concerns over the rising sectional disagreements and violent conflicts in various parts of the country, which are being exacerbated by the insensitive, divisive and parochial approach to governance by the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration,” the statement said. 

It continued, “The party laments the escalated sectional conflicts in various parts of the country; the bloody ethnic clashes currently raging in Ibadan, Oyo State in addition to similar clashes recorded in Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano as well as other states of the federation.

“The PDP calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to note that the once cohesive and economically thriving nation handed over to him in 2015 is fast collapsing in his hands due to his failure to effectively manage the economy, inability to administer the complex political and sectional nuances of the nation as well as manifest lack of capacity to confront terrorists, bandits and kidnappers ravaging our country.

“Our party grieves that under the anti-democratic and anti-people proclivities of the Buhari-led APC administration, our once thriving country has come under grave tension to the extent that citizens have become nervous, agitated, lost faith in the polity, with individuals, communities, states and geo-political zones resorting to self-determination as a way of survival.

“It is indeed distressing that the Buhari administration cannot handle the fundamental responsibility of government; to guarantee the security, safety of our citizens as well as peaceful co-existence and stability of our nation.

“From Lagos to Borno, Oyo to Ebonyi, Imo to Katsina, Plateau to Osun, Benue to Kano; and the ed across our nation, the tension is palpable; Nigerians are losing confidence in government. The corporate existence of our nation, which patriotic citizens have belabouring for, is now being threatened.

“The PDP urges President Buhari to wake up from slumber, end the divisive tendencies of the APC administration and without further delay, take urgent steps to guarantee peaceful co-existence in our country by ensuring strict adherence to extant provisions of the 1999 constitution, especially regarding our federal structure and sensibilities.

“While calling for calm and vigilance, our party charges President Buhari to take steps to unite the nation by ensuring justice in the face of infractions against our federal sensibilities as a people.

“The PDP stressed that the nation is already distressed by unbridled violence, wanton killings and bloodletting by terrorists, bandits and, kidnappers, who the Buhari administration has failed to contain, and cannot stand the trauma of sectional conflict at this critical time.”