Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said Nigerians were still awaiting President Muhammadu Buhari’s broadcast on the easing of the lockdown imposed in Lagos, Ogun, Kano and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The PDP in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, said its noted the alleged assumption of Presidential powers by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, to announce an extension of COVID -19 lockdown and curfew in the country.
However, the opposition party said the constitution does not empower the SGF to “broadcast Presidential executive orders to declare curfew and restriction of movements.”
According to the PDP, “the action of the SGF has brought serious confusion in the polity regarding the legality or otherwise of the directives contained in the SGF’s announcement.
“Such powers are vested in the person and office of Mr. President and not exercisable by proxy, directly or indirectly; which makes the action of the SGF a recipe for serious constitutional crisis in our country.
“Our nation is a state governed by dictates of the law, particularly in the exercise of powers vested in statutory offices, especially that of the President.
“The PDP holds that the announcement by the SGF is, therefore, another manifestation of abuse of our statutory offices arising from the abdication of responsibilities by President Buhari since the last five years, which had also become more pronounced in this fight against COVID-19.”