Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign following the reported apology from the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and appeal to forgive the president for not knowing where he kept his certificate.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, made the call, yesterday, at a press briefing in Abuja.
Ologbondiyan faulted the minister’s speech as an appeal to sentiments, sensing that President Buhari has allegedly failed to defend himself before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
He said if Buhari is indeed seeking pardon from Nigerians, he should toe the path of honour and vacate the his office.
“The PDP has reviewed the video of the media interview by the Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and surmised that President Buhari should save the judiciary and the nation further troubles by immediately throwing in the towel and vacating the presidential seat following the official admission that he (Buhari) does not possess a WAEC certificate, contrary to his claims and disposition before the law.
“Our party mocks the Buhari Presidency for pushing out the video wherein the minister pleaded with Nigerians to pardon President Buhari over his false WAEC certificate claims. The PDP holds that the pronouncement and appeal for pardon issued by the government’s spokesperson, who is also a lawyer, is a direct guilt plea, which cannot save President Buhari from the course of justice in this matter.”
The opposition spokesman added: “From the official pronouncement by the Information Minister on a national television, it is no longer in dispute before all Nigerians that President Buhari does not possess the educational certificate he claimed in the affidavit he deposed to in his presidential nomination form.
“In this latest shenanigan, President Buhari and his handlers ought to have known that the law, which the judiciary is bound to uphold, is a respecter of no man.
“The PDP reminds President Buhari of how his presidency vehemently applied the law in similar circumstance to remove a head of an arm of government; a situation, which renders his plea for pardon a complete nullity before the law.
“It is disheartening that President Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) would put our nation through the troubles of legal hassles when they knew all the while that they were building something on nothing,” he said.