The Peoples Democratic Party PDP, has said that Nigerians can no longer stand, watch Buhari’s govt destroy our democracy this came as it decried the ‘Gestapo like invasions’ on the homes of Justices of the Supreme Court, Federal High Court of Nigeria and their arrest by the Police and the Department of Security Service, DSS.

The arrested Justices of the Supreme Court were, Sylvanus Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro and the Judges of the Federal High Court were Muazu Pindiga, Adeniyi Ademola, Abdullahi Liman and Nnamdi Dimgba.

The PDP said that ”Nigerians can no longer afford to stand and watch Buhari Administration destroy the foundations of our democracy that we have built for several years. Nigerians have a duty to speak out against this sort of tyranny”

The PDP statemet read thus At this time, Justices Ngwuta and Okoro of the Supreme Court and Justices Adeniyi & Pindiga had been abducted and detained. Justice Dimgba only escaped abduction because he was not at home at the time. Justice Abdullahi’s abduction was prevented by the timely intervention of Governor Nyesom Wike, who insisted on the observance of the rule of law and the application of due process

. Governor Nyesome Wike was assaulted by the men of the DSS during his intervention causing him to sustain injuries on his arm. At a point, an officer pointed a fully cocked gun at him and threatened to shoot him. The invasion was carried out between 0100hrs and 0500hrs..in the early morning using hundreds of fully armed men of the DSS.

 During the invasion, the Justices were manhandled and members of their families as well as their household staff beaten up. This invasion is the latest in a series of actions taken by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration which reveal its disregard for the rule of law and its abject disdain for the Principle of Separation of Powers.

This inexorable slide into fascism began with the invasion of the Akwa Ibom State Government…House by the self same DSS, the continued detention of several people despite Courts ordering their release, the invasion of…the Ekiti State House of Assembly and detention of Hon. Akanni Afolabi and the invasion of the Zamfara State House of Assembly.

This slide into fascism has included a sustained attack on the leadership of the National Assembly as President Buhari has…sought to break its independence and make it a rubber stamp to suit his will. It is worthy to note that NEVER in the history of our Country has any President attacked the Judiciary in such a manner.

Even the late dictator – General Sani Abacha, whose regime is remembered by many as the second worst regime in Nigerian history, did not carry out such Gestapo style attacks on the members of the Judiciary. By bringing this attack to the Judiciary, President Buhari has shown that he has no desire to…respect the pillars of our democracy.

He has shown his desire to kill off our democracy and convert it to an autocracy without checks and balances. The government has no regard for the rule of law. They do not care about Court Orders. This Government .has disregarded the Orders of the ECOWAS Court and every other Courts in the land and continue to detain Dasuki illegally.

They continue to detain hundreds of Nigerians without bringing them to trial and against valid Court Orders. For the avoidance of doubt, the Constitution in Section 153(1)(i) and Part 1 of the Third Schedule thereto establishes…the National Judicial Council (NJC) and empowers same to regulate and discipline judges across the Country. The proper path to follow to discipline erring judges will be to forward a petition containing any wrong doing to the NJC along with any evidence…in support thereof.

The path not to follow is this Gestapo style invasion in the middle of the night that involves the use of..sledgehammers to breakdown gates and front doors for DSS to gain access to the homes. Nigerians can no longer afford to stand aside and watch the Buhari Administration destroy the foundations of our democracy that we have built for several years. Nigerians have a duty to speak out against this sort of tyranny.God bless Nigeria. Signed: Prince Dayo Adeyeye National Publicity Secretary