The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Wednesday warned the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Buhari Presidency to desist from any plot to push a third term agenda for President Muhammadu Buhari.
The party described the alleged plan as ‘dangerous’, noting that it would derail and destabilize the country’s democracy if not checkmated.
Disclosing this in a statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyban, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, PDP described the statements by the Presidency and the APC as unhealthy ploy to introduce a repugnant issue into official discourse in a bid to give it a life and achieve its fruition in the political arena.
Recall that the Presidency had vowed that noting would make Buhari seek for a third term after his second term.
It went further to emphasize that in no circumstance would President Buhari vie for presidency come 2023.
A statement by Garba Shehu explains better;
“The Presidency wishes to correct internet-based gossip and un-informed media commentary regarding presidential term limits, given credence by so-called support groups, staging street demonstrations asking President Muhammadu Buhari to do a third term.
“There are no circumstances – nor set of circumstances – under which President Buhari may seek to amend the Constitution regarding the two-term term limit on holding office as President. “President Buhari intends to serve his full second elected term in office, ending 2023 – and then there shall be a general election in which he will not be a candidate.
“There is not even the faintest possibility that this will change. It is important to note that there was a past attempt to change the Constitution to allow for the-then incumbent president to stand for a third term. That attempt was wrong, unconstitutional – and rightly rebuffed.
“No such attempt will happen under this President. President Buhari is a democrat. He respects the Constitution. Any activity aimed at altering the two-term limit will not succeed and shall never have his time nor support.” Buhari will not come back for a third term – Presidency (Opens in a new browser tab) But in a riposte on Wednesday, the opposition party accused APC and Buhari Presidency of plot to push Buhari for a third term.
Read the full statement below:
“The PDP says it is preposterous for the Presidency cabal and the APC to think that Nigerians cannot see through their shenanigan to import and elevate what they labeled as rumor and internet-based gossip, into official national discourse. Our party notes that Nigerians will not be surprised when, after the statements by the Presidency and APC, new groups surface to orchestrate more forceful agitations in the public space for the alteration of the 1999 Constitution to achieve an ignoble aim.
The PDP however cautions the Presidency and the APC to note that Nigerians are already aware of individuals and political interests in the Presidency cabal in addition to known APC agents who are behind the street demonstrations for a third term for President Buhari.
The party invites Nigerians to note how, having been busted, the presidency cabal and the APC are now groping for ways to cover their trails by making frivolous allegations which directly point back to them.
Stop playing politics with insecurity Omo-Agege tells politicians(Opens in a new browser tab) The party therefore urges President Muhammadu Buhari to personally speak out and immediately call his supporters to order as Nigerians will never allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to alter any part of our constitution to serve a selfish interest.
The PDP insists that this has become imperative in view of the series of constitutional violations and provocative undermining of our laws by the APC and power mongers in the Buhari Presidency.