The Oodua People’s Frontier (OPF) and the Yoruba Patriots Alliance (YPA) has condemned the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government for its brazen interference in the election of principal officers of the National Assembly.
The convener of Oodua People’s Frontiers (OPF), Comrade Moses Oluwasegun Odewale and the national president of Yoruba Patriots Alliance (YPA), Comrade Anuoluwabamise Adetutu, in a press statement issued in Abuja said Nigeria is not an agberocracy.
“We are a nation founded on democratic principles, where the separation of powers and the independence of the legislative and judicial arms are paramount,” they said.
They vehemently repudiates misguided parallel drawn between Nigeria and the confined realm of Lagos state, where agberos and touts reign supreme.
The two groups said: “We assert that Nigeria, as a whole, transcends the narrow scope of a single state and operates on an entirely different scale of governance.
“It is shameful that the current government, barely at the outset of its tenure, is already exhibiting dictatorial tendencies. Considering the use of court orders to impede eligible candidates from exercising their fundamental rights to contest for principal offices in the Senate is not only an affront to our democracy but also a blatant violation of the principles of justice and fairness.
“The OPF and the YPA stands firmly against any attempt by this administration to undermine our democratic systems. We refuse to be silent spectators as our democracy is eroded by the very government entrusted to uphold it. We will resist every encroachment on our democratic institutions with unwavering determination.
“The people of Nigeria deserve leaders who respect the tenets of democracy and uphold the principles of good governance. We demand that the Tinubu-led government refrain from further interference in the electoral process and respect the rights of eligible candidates to contest for principal offices in the National Assembly.
“In light of the unabated intimidation of candidates and the flagrant encroachment upon the election process for the principal offices of the Senate, it becomes unequivocally evident that any Nigerian harboring the belief that this administration
can genuinely revive their aspirations is gravely deceiving themselves.
“The prevailing demeanor and actions of the government cast profound doubts on their capacity to reignite a semblance of hope.
“We are totally dismayed at the recent trending video of the Vice President Kashim Shettima, announcing the stepping down of Hon. Aliyu Betara and Hon. Yusuf Gagdi in favour of their preferred candidate, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
“We consider this move to be not only shameful but also a blatant affront on democracy and the principles of separation of powers. In a true democratic society, the election of principal officers of the National Assembly is not the duty of the executive arm of government, rather, it is the prerogative of the elected members of the National Assembly.
“It is their right to choose individuals who they believe will best represent the interests and aspirations of our nation. Any attempt to manipulate or interfere with this process undermines the essence of democracy and erodes the trust and confidence of the electorate,” they said.