Emmanuel Adigwe
The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has mandated President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, to stop pushing the country towards the 1983 crisis that led to collapse of democracy.
The group stated this in a statement issued to the press and signed by Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the Spokesman for the coalition said that it was disturbed with the news that security operatives barricaded the premises of the Edo State House of Assembly.
“Opposition Coalition views this development taking place in a democracy as an affront to all our past and present heroes who fought hard for the enthronement of democracy in the country,” the statement added.
“The attempt to use former members of Edo House of Assembly whose seats have been declared vacant to take over the House is an invitation to anarchy and an act of treason.
“We, therefore, call on President Muhammadu Buhari and his men to halt all actions and inactions capable of pushing the nation towards a crisis like the 1983 crisis that led to collapse of democracy.
“We also urge the President to call the disgraced former factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole and his desperate followers, to order before his actions in Edo State instigate electoral violence that will consume the nation and its hard-won democracy.
“The CUPP also calls upon the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to mobilise the citizens of the state to resist these political bandits.
“In doing so, the governor is urged to invoke the provisions of Section 20 of the Criminal Code and mobilise the citizens to exercise their constitutional right to stop people flouting the laws or carrying out criminal activities in their presence.
“We however praised the governor for showing maturity so far in the face of unwarranted provocation. We advise him that while he is displaying maturity, the red line must be drawn.
“No one person, no matter how highly placed, should be above the law. The governor must be ready to protect the people of the state and his mandate from predators.
“We shall be watching developments in the state and the entire nation with great attention and we ask all lovers of democracy both at home and abroad to join us in doing so.”