The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday cried out, saying that democracy was under severe attack in Nigeria.
The party was reacting to the defection of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara’s defection from PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier in the day.
“We reiterate to Nigerians and the global community that with the unrelenting disposition of the ruling party towards the attainment of a one-party state, and the constriction of the political space, democracy is under severe attack in Nigeria,” the PDP said.
In a statement signed by the PDP spokesman, Ini Ememobong, the party called on Nigerians the rise together “to oppose this ignoble trip toward electoral authoritarianism.”
The party said it received the news of Fubara’s defection with pity, adding that it’s an exemplar of the old legal maxim; “to one who is willing, no harm can be done”.
“Everyone who has followed the developments that culminated in this uneventful defection, will recall that the Governor willingly travelled the path that took him to this destination.
“Having done so voluntarily, he cannot turn around and accuse our party, or any other person or group of abandoning or not protecting him.
“Whilst a person who is at a crossroads of threats of existential proportion, will most likely suffer from temporary amnesia caused by trauma, the Governor should have nothing less than praise for our party, civil society organisations, and all Nigerians who freely stood up in his defence since this crisis started until he capitulated.
“It is our prayer that the Governor should not suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, where a victim falls in love with his captor. In all, despite these, we pity the Governor and wish him well.”
The PDP said the situation in Rivers is a testament to the dysfunctional nature of the nation’s democracy, “where individuals are bigger and stronger than institutions and can use the apparatus of the Federal Government to obfuscate political life out of their opponents and bring them to their knees.”
“Democracy is terribly threatened by acts of this kind, and all well-meaning people should unify in condemning this progressive decline of democratic norms.
“Finally, we reiterate to Nigerians and the global community that with the unrelenting disposition of the ruling party towards the attainment of a one-party state, and the constriction of the political space, democracy is under severe attack in Nigeria. Everyone must rise together to oppose this ignoble trip toward electoral authoritarianism.”