The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has described the travel ban on 50 prominent Nigerians as a throwback to the dark days of dictatorship when President Muhammadu Buhari held forth as a military head of state, saying it was a reminder of the draconian Decree 2 of 1984.
Atiku’s critique of the full implementation of Executive Order 6, signed by Buhari recently, had the backing of human right activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), who said it was an unlawful act, as well as some of the victims of the directive, including former minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and former governors Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto) and Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo), who said they could not be bothered because it was politically motivated.
Atiku in a statement yesterday by his campaign organisation said while he abhorred no act of criminality, financially or otherwise, the rule of law must serve as a guide at all times if the society wouldn’t descend into anarchy.
Buhari had on Saturday ordered full implementation of Executive Order 6 (EO6). A number of enforcement procedures were consequently put in place, which included a travel ban on 50 high-profile Nigerians and monitoring of the financial transactions of these persons of interest.
The PDP presidential candidate added that if past events were to be the judge, the 50 individuals would conveniently be critics and opponents of the Buhari administration.
Atiku said this was nothing but intimidation of political opponents ahead of the 2019 elections, adding that this was what the Buhari administration did in Osun State, where it froze the accounts of the Adeleke family and then illegally and clandestinely paid N16.7 billion to Osun State Government to facilitate daylight electoral robbery.
Atiku stated, “It is a throwback to Buhari’s evil Decree Number Two of 1984, which criminalised truth-telling if it did not please Buhari, proving that dictators can grow old, but they can’t grow into democrats.
“Thus, we find it most undemocratic that in a nation governed by the rule of law, a president who swore an oath to abide by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, does this.
“The Nigerian Constitution guarantees every Nigerian citizen freedom of movement and freedom of association. This constitutional right cannot be taken away except by a court order.”
He said if the Buhari administration wanted to curtail the rights of Nigerians, then it must go to court and obtain a court order, saying anything short of that was unconstitutional and extrajudicial.
He added that the sudden dictatorial act brings to mind President Buhari’s comments for which he was condemned by the international community and by the generality of Nigerians.
The PDP presidential candidate recalled that while Buhari was delivering an address at the annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association on August 26, 2018, he said, “Where national security and public interest are threatened or there is a likelihood of their being threatened, the individual rights of those allegedly responsible must take second place, in favour of the greater good of society.”
Atiku said that was not only a faulty interpretation of the constitution but also portrays the dictatorial and authoritarian mindset of Buhari because only he gets to decide who and what threatens national security.
A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who was included in the list, said he was not losing any sleep over the travel ban placed on him and 49 others.
