In response to the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has suspended its 2019 presidential campaign saying democracy is under attack.
President Buhari on Friday suspended Onnoghen and swore in Justice Ibrahim Mohammed as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
PDP’s suspension of their presidential campaign was disclosed in a statement signed by the chairman of the party and co-chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council, Uche Secondus on Saturday Morning.
The Presidential Campaign has been suspended for the period of 72hours in protest of the suspension.
The Statement reads: “ The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council has suspended its presidential campaign in protest of President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to suspend the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.
“The PDP Campaign Council further predicated the suspension of its campaign activities in solidarity with Nigerians in our collective rejection of the assault against our democratic order.
President Buhari’s action is a “dangerous and brazen assault on the constitution. There is no point in campaigning to contest in an election, whose very basis has been so flagrantly undermined.
“The basis for this election is the democracy itself. When democracy comes under this kind of virulent attack, then the election itself becomes superfluous,” the statement said.
The PDP Presidential Campaign which was scheduled to be in Benue State on Saturday has therefore been cancelled.
“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 action of President Buhari represents a constitutional breach and a direct attack on our democracy. This must never be allowed to stand, as there is no way by which democracy can survive under these autocratic tendencies.
“We call on all well-meaning Nigerians to rise in defence of democracy and save our nation from this imminent slide into tyranny,” the statement added.
