The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has strongly condemned the presence of the Department of State Services operatives at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday.
In a statement posted on his X page, Atiku described the security deployment as “utterly reprehensible” and insisted that such actions must not be tolerated in a democracy.
“The viral video of armed security operatives invading the Lagos State House of Assembly is utterly reprehensible and stands condemned,” he wrote.
Atiku called for a full investigation into the matter, raising concerns over reports that the operatives were allegedly enforcing a leadership change within the Assembly.
“It must be subjected to a full and thorough investigation. It is bewildering that the invading operatives reportedly have a mandate to enforce a leadership change in the House,” he stated.
He further criticised those he accused of undermining democracy, despite previously positioning themselves as pro-democracy advocates.
“It is appalling that it is those who claimed to have fought for democracy that decided to sanction this crass desecration of the state’s foremost legislative body, and by so doing, putting our hard-earned democracy in jeopardy,” Atiku said.
Describing the incident as a direct assault on Nigeria’s democratic values, Atiku warned that it posed a serious threat to the electoral process and governance.
“This act is an attack on the sanctity of democracy and a landmark of indignity to the Nigerian electorate, especially the people of Lagos,” he said.
While acknowledging that leadership disputes are common in democratic systems, Atiku condemned the involvement of armed operatives in resolving internal parliamentary conflicts.
“Whatever may have caused the leadership crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly is an undercurrent that is not abnormal in a system of democracy,” he noted.
“The purported invitation of armed security operatives for a conflict resolution in a parliament is an anathema that should be frowned upon and interrogated with all sense of urgency.”
The former Vice President also took a swipe at President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of meddling in state affairs instead of addressing pressing national issues.
“Tinubu should focus on bringing Nigeria out of the mess he plunged the country into rather than interfering in the state matters,” Atiku said.
The DSS, however, has insisted that its deployment was based on an official request from the Assembly, citing security threats.
