The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has raised the alarm that the Jonathan Administration is steadily descending into despotism with a brazen assault on the freedom of expression and the press, the use of national institutions against perceived enemies and a growing inclination to denigrate opposition leaders.
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"The Jonathan Administration is anchored on a Transformation Agenda. But the only transformation that we can see is the one from a democratically-elected President to an Emperor, a despot," the party said in a statement in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
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"If the President is not prevailed upon to change course, Nigeria may be in for another season of anomie, reminiscent of the days of the maximum ruler who took the country to the brink before his sudden demise," it said.
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ACN said that the way President Jonathan is handling his political disagreement with a member of his party, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, has portrayed him as a leader who is willing to jettison democratic ideals and principles on the altar of personal ambition.
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The party wondered why national institutions have to be bastardized and compromised just to get at a political enemy, specifically citing the role being played by the Ministry of Aviation, its parastatals like the NCAA, NAMA and FAAN, as well as the EFCC and the police, among others, in the presidency's clash with the Gov. Amaechi.