The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has knocked President Bola Tinubu over his description of Nigerians in his budget presentation as the “ordinary people out there” saying the statement exposed his disdain and utter disregard to the sensitivity of Nigerians.
The opposition party also condemned the rendition of Tinubu’s campaign tune inside the chamber of the National Assembly during the presentation of the budget.
During President Tinubu’s presentation of the appropriation bill on Wednesday to the joint session of the National Assembly, the lawmakers stood up as a symbol of respect, but the band was heard playing Tinubu’s campaign song from when he was a presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reacting in a statement on Wednesday, the opposition party described the incident as an “extremely sacrilegious and unpardonable assault by President Tinubu and his handlers on the sensibility and Constitutional sovereignty of the Nigerian people as represented by the National Assembly.”
The party said, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) @OfficialPDPNig strongly condemns the rendition of the campaign tune of then Presidential Candidate of the APC, @OfficialAPCNg now President Bola Tinubu @officialABAT in the hallowed chamber of the National Assembly during the presentation of the 2024 budget estimate to the Legislature.
“The PDP describes such as extremely sacrilegious and unpardonable assault by President Tinubu and his handlers on the sensibility and Constitutional sovereignty of the Nigerian people as represented by the National Assembly.
“The insensitive and brazen rendition of Tinubu’s campaign tune amidst proceedings in the chambers of the National Assembly by government’s security band further confirms the apprehensions by Nigerians of creeping totalitarianism and fiefdom where an individual is being elevated as a Sovereign in clear undermining of the Legislature and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“This condemnable episode validates the concerns of the PDP as expressed on several occasions, the latest being on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 where our Party raised alarm and cautioned that our nation is dangerously sliding into cronyism and totalitarianism under the Tinubu-led APC administration.
“The National Assembly is the symbol of the collective sovereignty of the Nigerian people which cannot be appropriated by or surrendered to any individual or cabal under any guise or circumstance whatsoever.
“Moreover, the PDP is appalled by President Tinubu’s description of Nigerians in his budget presentation as the “ordinary people out there”; a statement which further exposes the disdain and utter disregard to the sensitivity of Nigerians as reflected in the formulation of polices, programmes and implementation by the APC administration.
“This apparently explains why the 2024 budget as presented by President Tinubu heavily provided for luxury appetite of the privileged few in the Presidency and APC leaders with no corresponding positive plan for the wellbeing of other Nigerians,” the statement noted.
“Our Party calls on Nigerians to be at alert and defend the nation’s democracy by resisting the totalitarian tendencies of the APC administration.
“Nigeria is a democratic nation governed by the Constitution and the Rule of Law and we must not allow any act that is capable of drifting our nation to unconstitutional tendencies as being exhibited by the APC,” the party’s spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba added.
