CUPP, in a statement by its national spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere, said the lawmakers should boycott the exercise as a show of resentment and condemnation of Buhari’s alleged three years’ reign of impunity, non-implementation of past budgets and abuse of state institutions.
Other reasons cited by the group included the President’s alleged incompetence, abuse of appropriation laws and refusal to sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
It stated, “The opposition coalition holds the view that sitting down and listening to a man who has led several assaults on the institutions of our nation’s constitutional governance is tacit support for his many sins against our nation.”
CUPP alleged that Buhari refused to implement previous budgets passed since 2015 till date and committed gross misconduct and obstruction of justice by refusing to obey judgments of courts including the ECOWAS court.
The group added that the President promised to fix the economy, but only succeeded in turning Nigeria into the poverty capital of the world.
It also described Buhari as “a man who has lost control of his government as alleged by his wife with two unidentified and unelected men using presidential powers under him; a man who has divided our nation along ethnic and religious lines.”
The group said the President deserved impeachment for allegedly committing many acts of alleged gross misconduct, incompetence and obstruction of justice.
CUPP stated, “Our call for the heroic, patriotic and courageous walkout/boycott of the 2019 budget presentation on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 is hinged on the following national interest based on economic and political reasons; refusal by President Buhari to substantially implement previous budgets from 2015 to 2018 which led to rise in poverty, waste and sufferings of Nigerians; refusal to sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill that will guarantee free and fair elections, reduce rigging and avert bloody electoral contests; inflicting poverty on Nigerians as a result of incompetence and prompt leadership action; and the sudden rise in Boko Haram activities, armed robbery and bloody violence across Nigeria.”
It also noted that the President had refused to sign the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, which would have raised revenue for Nigerians and protected the Niger Delta people and their environment.
CUPP further said that Buhari did not attend the burial of soldiers killed in Metele, Borno State. It also accused the Buhari administration of illegal detention of opposition and innocent citizens and lack of respect for human rights.
The group stated that the administration had not rescued Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok schoolgirls from the captivity of Boko Haram.
“It is important to note that after a careful review of the pattern of the past three years’ budgets including the snippets from the 2019 budget, we can categorically tell Nigerians that the document is once again an empty proposal that lacks the capacity to pull Nigeria out of the economic woes the previous Buhari budgets landed it and hence we caption it a budget for consolidation of incompetence, waste and poverty and an official paper for the rampaging looters to complete their four years looting cycle,” CUPP stated.
On its part, the PDP threw its weight behind the call on lawmakers to boycott the 2019 budget presentation by the President.
The party said it remained part of the CUPP and would therefore not oppose whatever decision taken by the body of opposition parties.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, who spoke with one of our correspondents, insisted that the President had disappointed Nigerians.
He said, “You know we are part of the coalition and whatever decision they take, we are part of it. Though we need the budget, if the boycott will let the President sit up and attend to state matters, so be it.
“The President cannot even defend the budget of last year. It is being poorly managed and the country is not moving forward.
“This is a government that has told us that whether we have light in our homes and factories or not, it isn’t their business.
“The same government will make a huge budgetary allocation to the power sector next year. You can see the hypocrisy.”
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