Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the invasion of the National Assembly by security operatives.
He said the action was geared towards forcefully changing the Senate’s leadership.
Atiku, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, condemned what he described as “this atrocity;” and called on all those involved “to put Nigeria first and abandon this madness.”
He said that the constitution of Nigeria, as amended, guarantees both the independence of the Legislature and separation of powers.
He said, “Nigeria is a democracy, not a military dictatorship and we, the people, will never return to tyranny.
“I, therefore, call on President Muhammadu Buhari and acting President Yemi Osinbajo to stop hiding behind one finger and live up to their responsibility of upholding the constitution and law and order, which they swore to on May 29, 2015.
“We warned that if what occurred in Benue last week was not checked on time, it would escalate to the federal level. Today, we are seeing that warning in play.”
He said that the acting President, being a professor of law, ought to know that setting such a precedent would be an invitation to anarchy.
He added, “There are better uses for our security forces at this time than to lay siege to our citadels of democracy. Our people are languishing in the midst of unprecedented insecurity and nationwide killings.
“To thus deploy our security forces in this present manner while Nigerians face these challenges is an abdication of responsibility, to say the least.”
While asking Nigerians to be watchful and mobilised to defend democracy, he further said that they must remember that “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
