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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised Thursday’s fracas by some All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the House of Representatives, describing it as a show of shame and a national embarrassment.
In a statement issued and signed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Olisa Metuh, in Abuja, the party said that the development brought to question APC’s commitment to democracy, unity and the stability of the country.
The statement said that the attempt to physically assault a duly elected Speaker and seize the mace, the authority of the House, was a direct attack on the Nigerian parliament.
It further said that what Nigerians witnessed in the House, clearly underscored the fact that the APC had exhausted its excuses.
It said that the APC had “imported its internal contradictions into an independent arm of government as a way to further cover its lack of ideas for governance.”
It stressed that the onus lay on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that all democratic institutions in the country were harnessed for effectiveness.
According to the statement, the continued confusion in the APC-led government is a confirmation of the PDP's position that it lacked the capacity and democratic discipline to effectively govern the nation.
“A party that has since March 28, 2015, got its victory, about 90 days ago, cannot resolve a basic issue of selecting its leadership in the National Assembly. It shows clearly that its competence for national governance comes to question,” he said.
The statement, however, applauded Speaker Yakubu Dogara for his comportment, especially his statesmanlike remarks after the unfortunate incident in the House.
It urged him to continue to display maturity and not yield any ground in his duties to protect the independence of the legislature.
The statement further commended PDP members in the lower chamber for their maturity and dignifying conduct in line with the ideals of democracy laid by the party's founding fathers and built on peace and unity.
Meanwhile, the House later in the day apologised to Nigerians over the show of shame.
Addressing reporters after the rowdy plenary, the Chairman of the House ad-hoc Committee on Media, Honourable Sani Zorro, condemned the lawmakers’ actions, saying “the House sincerely apologises to Nigerians for the events of the day.”
•Photo shows Metuh.
