The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called on outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, to douse the tension in the country that the Federal Government plans to declare Friday a public holiday.

This, the party noted, is in view of the judgement to be delivered by the Supreme Court in the disqualification case it filed against Senator Kashim Shettima, for alleged double nomination as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial and vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections in violation of the provision of Section 35 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

PDP in a statement by National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, added that the Federal Government should clear the doubt that the APC is mounting pressure on the Department of State Services (DSS) to advise President Buhari to declare the public holiday.

“The ominous silence by the Federal Government in the face of such grave allegations is heightening tension across the country and has the capacity to trigger a widespread crisis if not immediately addressed.

“Such reported sinister plot by the APC against the Supreme Court is consistent with the insensitivity, manipulation, abuse of power and process promoted by the APC as an act of governance in the last eight years,” the party stated.

It, therefore called on President Buhari to immediately douse the palpable tension in the country by making a categorical statement with regard to the reported plots by the APC to stop the sitting of the Supreme Court through the declaration of a public holiday.

PDP said the APC should respect the independence of the judiciary and the Supreme Court in the administration of justice as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the principle of separation of powers as enshrined in the Constitution.

“Nigeria is already strained and any attempt to impose a public holiday on Friday, May 26, 2023, as a ploy to stop the Supreme Court from delivering its reserved judgment is capable of increasing the tension with possible dire consequences to the polity,” the party warned. (New Telegraph)

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