IGP vs Senate: PDP says Nigeria drifting towards totalitarianism

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned in its totality the repeated snubbing of the Senate by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, who had for the third time shunned the Senate invitation over the worsening security situation in the country.

The PDP noted that this deliberate assault on our democratic process, willful denigration of the National Assembly and recourse to totalitarianism has not been reprimanded by President Muhammadu Buhari, as the chief security officer of the nation.

The party stated this in statement signed by its publicity secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, saying: “It is instructive to state that never in our democratic history as a people and a nation, has a service chief or an inspector general of police treated the National Assembly with as much dishonor and disdain like the current IGP.

“All over the world, the legislature is a bastion of democracy and our constitution, in recognition of this, provides a special place for our National Assembly, as the representatives of the people, to serve as a check on the executive arm.”

The party, therefore, condemned this offensive on our democracy by IGP Idris as well as the deliberate insult being heaped on each of our legislators by appointees of President Buhari.

The PDP equally invited Nigerians to note that totalitarianism does not begin in a day, noting that “it starts from a deliberate disrespect to statutes, laws and institutions that engender democracy and rule of law.”

Consequently, the PDP, as a party, urged the Senate President to protect the institution of the legislature and our democracy by not limiting their action only to finding Mr. Ibrahim Idris as “unfit” to hold public office.

The PDP further charged the Senate to take the next step within their legislative instrument and powers to restore the respect and dignity which the generality of Nigerians and the 1999 Constitution (as amended) bestowed on them.