PDP reacts to travel ban placed on 50 high profile Nigerians

The presidency, on Saturday, October 13, 2018, announced that the Federal Government has moved to implement Executive Order Number 6 in full.

It also said that as a result of the full implementation of the Executive Order, 50 high profile Nigerians have been placed on a travel ban.

Buhari targeting opposition members

In its reaction, the PDP said the travel ban is targeted at members of the opposition and perceived enemies of the government.

Speaking further, the party’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan said the Executive Order is a clampdown on the country’s democratic order.

Tribune reports that Ologbondiyan also said “this draconian step is clearly targeted at members of the opposition parties, perceived political enemies of President Muhammadu Buhari, well-meaning Nigerians, including members of the business community, religious leaders, former political leaders and traditional rulers, who are perceived to be averse to President Buhari’s re-election bid.

“We hope this is not a ploy to harm certain eminent Nigerians on the claims of resisting travel restrictions.

ALSO READ: Buhari's new executive order on foreign assets, explained

“The whole world can now see how fascism is fast taking over our democracy and judicial system and how the Buhari administration, by fiat, has directly ordered that citizens be secretly trailed, their movements and financial transactions restricted by government agencies, without recourse to due process of the law.”

Buhari in panic mode

The PDP spokesman also said that the clampdown on the party’s supporters will not be accepted, adding that “the Buhari Presidency has gone into panic mode since the popular emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as PDP Presidential candidate and the spontaneous jubilation his emergence has evoked across the country.”

Executive Order Number 6, which was signed by President Buhari on July 5, 2018, mandates the forfeiture of all asset as proceeds of corruption pending the final determination by the court.