Buhari Has Abdicated His Responsibilities, SGF Announcement of Lockdown Extension Illegal and Recipe For Constitutional Crisis -PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has faulted Monday’s announcement of extension of the partial lockdown in the country by the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

The party in a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Olongbondiyan, said the SGF has no such powers as only the president of the Nigeria can declare curfew.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has noted the assumption of Presidential powers by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, to announce an extension of lockdown and curfew in our country in relation to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our party points out that nowhere in our laws are the powers to broadcast Presidential executive orders to declare curfew and restriction of movements vested in the Office of the SGF.

“The action of the SGF has brought serious confusion in the polity regarding the legality or otherwise of the directives contained in the SGF’s announcement.

“Such powers are vested in the person and office of Mr. President and not exercisable by proxy, directly or indirectly; which makes the action of the SGF a recipe for serious constitutional crisis in our country.

“Our nation is a state governed by dictates of the law, particularly in the exercise of powers vested in statutory offices, especially that of the President.

“The PDP holds that the announcement by the SGF is, therefore, another manifestation of abuse of our statutory offices arising from the abdication of responsibilities by President Buhari since the last five years, which had also become more pronounced in this fight against COVID-19.

“Our party, therefore, invites Mr. President to end the confusion in the polity, arising from the action of the SGF, by immediately addressing Nigerians in his official capacity to fulfill the demands of our laws in respect of the necessary protocols on restrictions and other management procedures in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in our country” PDP said.