Following a declaration made by President Muhammadu Buhari that the nation’s security cannot be sacrificed on the altar of individual rights and rule of law, main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to drag the president to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The party said it would do everything legitimately possible to ensure that the ICC holds President Buhari responsible for human rights violation and abuses under his watch.
PDP further stated that it would mobilize Nigerians to stop the President from introducing “the long forgotten trappings of military dictatorship into a democratic regime” which it said Nigerians laboured for many years to attain.
Recall that Buhari on Sunday while declaring open the 2018 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had said that national security cannot be sacrificed for rule of law and individual rights.
In his speech, President Buhari urged lawyers to put national security over and above the rule of law.
PDP, however, kicked against Buhari’s declaration on national security, rule of law and right of individuals.
In its reaction on Monday, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, said the President’s assertion was a direct trademark of despotic rulers, adding that cannot find expression in a democratic setting.
The party further stated that it will not stop at anything legitimate to ensure that the International Criminal Court (ICC) holds President Buhari responsible for violations of rule of law and criminal abuse of human rights committed under his rule in the last three years.
“It is instructive to note that contrary to claims by Mr. President, there is no pronouncement by the Supreme Court that subjugates constitutional rule of law and rights of citizens to the whims, caprices and dictatorial impulses of any President.
“Our national interest is thoroughly embedded, protected, expressed and enforced only under the rule of law as provided by our constitution and there is no how Nigerians can allow an individual to superimpose or override the constitution with his personal whims and impulses; a pattern that is characteristic of known dictators all over the world, as expressed in the obnoxious Executive Order 6, designed to justify a complete clamp down of political opponents ahead of 2019 general elections,” Ologbondiyan stated.
“This is in addition to the quest to forcefully remove the leadership of the National Assembly, the blockade of the National Assembly and siege of the official residences of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President by Presidency controlled-security forces.
“We know that President Buhari is apprehensive of the electoral defeat that awaits him in February 2019 for which he is seeking ways to subvert the system, but we caution that in this desperation to hold unto to power, he must not seek to again, subvert our constitutional order as he will be firmly resisted by Nigerians”.
 has vowed to drag the president to the International Criminal Court (ICC).){kind=link}