Speaker House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara has said extra-judicial killings are not part of the country’s laws.
He said this against the backdrop of President Muhammadu Buhari’s directives that security agencies should deal with any person or group that disrupts the conduct of the forthcoming general elections.
Buhari said this at the All Progressives Congress caucus meeting Monday in Abuja.
“Anybody who decides to snatch boxes or lead thugs to disturb the election, may be that would be the last unlawful action you would take. I have given the military and police the order to be ruthless.
“I am going to warn anybody who thinks he would lead a body of thugs in his locality to snatch boxes or to disturb the voting system; he would do it at the expense of his/her own life,” Buhari had said.
Also at the meeting, APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said the Peoples Democratic Party had foreknowledge of the postponement of last Saturday’s presidential and national Assembly elections.
Speaking to the issues at the PDP campaign headquarters Monday, Speaker Dogara told journalists: “We categorically deny these false claims and unnecessary blackmail and regard the president’s statement as a call for extra-judicial killings, considering the fact that there are adequate provisions in our laws to address electoral offenses.
“These statements clearly indicate that our democracy has become the victim of a full blown dictatorship, when one considers that a democratically elected president would give a directive that is in clear violation of the laws of the land which by his oath of office he is to defend and protect.”
“In view of this statement by the president, it is obvious that the military has been given a central role and co-opted into the conduct of the elections despite the fact that they have no constitutional role in our electoral process.”
On allegations that the party knew about the postponement, Dogara said: “It should be noted that our party chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, was the first to call for an inquiry into why the elections were postponed last Saturday. In reality, we support a genuine and transparent probe into why the presidential and National Assembly elections could not hold. We also hope that the president’s inflammatory statement is not a threat aimed at intimidating the electoral commission.”
He said Oshiomole’s statement was false, mischievous and inflammatory claims against PDP.
“This is a very surprising statement considering the fact that the federal government controls
every institution and agency involved in the electoral process, including the CBN, Nigerian Air force, Aviation Authorities amongst others.”
