2023: PDP charges Buhari, APC to strengthen nation’s democratic institutions

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the Muhammadu Buhari administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek ways of building strong institutions for the country in a bid to strengthen democracy.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP noted that the triumph of democratic institutions in the handling of issues related to the United States presidential election has again highlighted the demands by Nigerians on the Buhari administration to allow the nation’s institutions of democracy to function.

The PDP further noted that the U.S. election served as a strong lesson to corrupt and power-drunk leaders that no matter how desperate they seek to manipulate the system, the will of the people and the constitution would prevail in the end.

The party further asserted that the insistence of the U.S. judiciary and the legislature on the provisions of their nation’s constitution, especially in resisting those who were desperate to hold on to office even after losing an election, reinforces the triumph of the collective will of a people through their system.

“Whereas our institutions of democracy including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies were brazenly manipulated by the APC in the 2019 elections, the United States experience strengthens the determination by Nigerians to stand up against such manipulations ahead of 2023,” the PDP said.

The party called on all Nigerians to join forces in the quest to reposition and strengthen the nation’s institutions for the task ahead.

According to the PDP, “this is the only way to reposition our nation on the path of good governance, political stability, national cohesion and economic prosperity.”

It urged Nigerians not to continue to allow people to “manipulate our system, denigrate our constitution, lie to and incite unsuspecting citizens, promote violence, division and killings, compromise our security agencies, invade our courts and intimidate our judiciary, assault our National Assembly and trample on our laws, all in their inordinate bid to foist their selfish political interests.”

The party added: “There is no overstressing the fact that for the strong institutions put in place by patriotic leaders of the United States, that nation would have been thrown into terrible turmoil or succumbed to a chaotic order that would have no regard for the law and the will of the people.”

The party urged the Buhari Presidency to check all acts that weaken the nation’s institutions and encourage the manipulation of its security, judiciary, legislative and electoral bodies.