The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to rein in his cabinet members and allies whom it accuses of sponsoring crises within opposition parties.
In a statement issued on Monday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, alleged that some supporters of the President are deliberately engineering turmoil in rival political parties.
The reaction followed the Federal Government’s decision to grant asylum and protection to Fernando Dia Da Costa, the opposition presidential candidate in the recently concluded Guinea-Bissau election.
While acknowledging that the asylum was granted to protect Da Costa’s life and support democracy in Guinea-Bissau and the wider West African region, the PDP said the Tinubu administration has failed to show the same commitment to democratic values at home.
The party urged President Tinubu to safeguard Nigeria’s democratic institutions and ensure that the political environment remains free, open, and competitive.
The statement read in part:
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has noted President Bola Tinubu’s gesture of granting asylum and providing protection to Mr. Fernando Dia Da Costa… aimed at preserving peace and democracy in Guinea-Bissau and, by extension, the West African sub-region.”
It further stressed that the same democratic principles must be applied domestically, accusing members of the President’s cabinet and political machinery of orchestrating and funding crises in major opposition parties.
According to the PDP, elected officials are being coerced into defecting to the ruling party, while internal destabilisation efforts continue to shrink the political space.
“The philosophical principles that guided Nigeria’s intervention in Guinea-Bissau should also direct the President’s actions at home to safeguard the nation’s electoral democracy and prevent a drift toward a one-party state,” the statement added.
The party urged President Tinubu to “act promptly in defence of democracy,” warning that he cannot claim to defend democracy abroad while enabling anti-democratic practices within Nigeria.
