Atiku warns that executive order banning 50 individuals from foreign travel will lead to capital flight

FORMER vice president and Peoples democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has joined the growing list of those criticising the government's recent travel ban on 50 individuals saying it could lead to capital flight and a loss of investment.

Over the weekend, President Muhammadu Buhari signed an executive order banning 50 people who are facing corruption charges from travelling abroad. Presidential spokesman Mallam Garba Shehu, said that following the judicial affirmation of the constitutionality and legality of the executive order, President Buhari had mandated the attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, to implement the order in full force.

In a swift response the PDP and the Coalition of United Political Parties (Cupp), condemned the ban, saying the president’s action was the final unveiling of forewarned tyranny. Like other opponents of the ban, they said Executive Order Six was meant to cow members of the opposition.

Adding his voice to the condemnation, Alhaji Abubakar said the ban was undemocratic and would lead to capital flight and another recession. He described the travel ban as another form of intimidation ahead of the 2019 elections, pointing out that he abhorred any act of criminality, either financially or otherwise.

Alhaji Abubakar  warned that the rule of law must be the guide at all times or society would descend into anarchy. He said it was wrong for the president to act under mere suspicion that the suspects were  believed to have property overseas and were involved in tax dodging or other alleged financial infractions.

“We must be unequivocal in saying that we abhor any act of criminality, financially or otherwise but the rule of law must be our guide at all times or society will descend into anarchy. Thus, we find it most undemocratic that in a nation governed by the rule of law, a president who swore an oath to abide by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, does this.

“If past events are to be the judge, these 50 individuals will conveniently be critics and opponents of the Buhari administration. This is nothing short of intimidation ahead of the 2019 elections, which is what the Buhari administration did in Osun where they froze the accounts of the Adeleke family and then illegally and clandestinely paid N16.7bn to the Osun State government to facilitate the daylight electoral robbery,” Alhaji Atiku added.

He pointed out that the Nigerian constitution guarantees every citizen freedom of movement and freedom of association, which could not be taken away except by a court order. Alhaji Abubakar added that if , “If the Buhari administration wants to curtail the rights of any Nigerian, then it must go to court and obtain a court order and anything short of this is unconstitutional and extrajudicial.