The Peoples Democratic Party has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on security over the growing spate of attacks and kidnappings across the country. In a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee of the party last Thursday in Abuja, PDP’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, backed the call by the House of Representatives for the President to urgently fix the worsening insecurity.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has responded to a communiqué issued by governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on recent security incidents recorded in some parts of the country. In a statement signed by the National Secretary of the APC’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, the ruling party said it shares the concerns of the PDP governors. However, the statement noted that the PDP and other well meaning Nigerians should avoid politicising the issues or trivialise the complexity of the solutions required. It’s now a case of attack and defence.
Buhari, APC have failed Nigerians – PDP
NEC urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately declare a national state of emergency on security,” the statement partly read. “NEC also urged President Buhari to, without delay, convoke a national conference on Security so as to galvanize ideas and options to tackle insecurity in our country. “NEC lamented the heightened insecurity pervading all parts of our nation due primarily to the misrule of President Muhammed Buhari and All Progressives Congress as well as their failure to decisively tackle the menace of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, bloodletting and acts of violence in our country.
“NEC further commended the efforts of governors, senators, House of Representatives members and other officials elected on the platform of the PDP in forcefully seeking solutions to the spate of insecurity in our country.” Nigeria has been experiencing a series of security threats ranging from terrorism, banditry, militancy, cultism among others in several parts of the country.
The country has been battling terrorism for more than a decade which has killed 36,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands in the northeast. “It is instructive to state the alleged affiliation of APC leaders with terrorist elements, who had reportedly infiltrated our nation after being imported from neighboring countries by the APC, as political mercenaries, to assist it in unleashing violence to rig the 2019 general elections.
“The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the APC and its leaders have failed to account for these mercenaries and have remained silent despite widespread demands by Nigerians asking the APC to return these killers to wherever they brought them.”
Buhari will bounce back, don’t politicize
insecurity – APC
Let no one be in doubt as to the urgency and capacity of the President Muhammadu Buhari government to end the recent security incidents.” “We urge stakeholders and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians to avoid politicising or being simplistic about the security situation,” the statement said.
“At a time like this, our duty to our nation as good citizens should outweigh political party colorations. “As those who receive constant security briefings, PDP Governors should know that divisive rhetorics can only embolden the criminals who are carrying out these cowardly acts.
This is not the time to play to the gallery, but sit down to find real and lasting solutions. The latter is what the President Buhari administration is doing. “While high-level investigations are ongoing to fish out sponsors and perpetrators of the security incidents, President Buhari has already given marching orders to our security services to check the security incidents.
We pray the investigations should not reveal conspiracies by the opposition to weaken the government in furtherance of their desperate 2023 aspirations. “We are however confident that our PDP governors and indeed all stakeholders will cooperate and support ongoing efforts to quickly and permanently end the security incidents.”
“The issue of insecurity in the country has found expression in terrorist and criminal activities of Boko Haram, bandits, kidnappers, rustlers and recently the highly condemnable attacks on security formations in some states.”
“As a progressive party in government, we are fully focussed on identifying and bringing to book the perpetrators and sponsors of this hydra-headed insecurity monster and consolidating on our visible development strides. While the party sympathises with all affected by the security incidents, we call on all to unite against insecurity and criminality, however, expressed.
