The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate amendment of the newly signed Petroleum Industry Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari signed the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill 2021 into law on Monday, despite the huge outcry and condemnation it received, especially from those in Southern Nigeria.
In his reaction, the opposition party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, called on President Buhari to forward an amendment bill for the Petroleum Industry Act, to the National Assembly with immediate effect.
The PDP Spokesperson expressed shock that the President overlooked the condemnation the bill received from Nigerians, to sign the PIB bill passed by the National Assembly into law.
Ologbondiyan particularly described the signing of the bill as an “endorsement of imposition, lack of respect for the people and the tenets of democracy as a system of government”.
He added that signing the bill into law was not in any way in the interest of oil-producing communities, particularly in the face of the challenges they faced as a result of oil exploration.
“Mr. President could have returned the bill to the National Assembly with a request that it be made to address the demands of the oil-producing communities.
“Our party fears that the new law cannot guarantee the desired stability and development in the oil and gas sector as well as respite in the Niger Delta region.
“The PDP calls on President Buhari to salvage the situation by immediately forwarding an amendment bill to the National Assembly to reflect the true wishes and aspirations of every segment of our nation,” he said.
