By Anthony Ogbekile
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the ambassadorial appointment of former Service Chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari. In a statement by the Spokesman of the Party, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP described the appointment as a plot to shield the ex-Service Chiefs from investigation over the “killing of innocent Nigerians and crimes against humanity” under their inglorious watch. In reply, The Presidency, through its media aide Mr. Femi Adesina dismissed the PDP’s ‘attack’ over the nomination of the former service chiefs. According to the presidency, this transition is normal in decent democratic societies.
PDP is doing Boko
Haram’s Work – APC
How on earth can decent people run down hardworking professionals who have put in their best to defend their country?
How can you run down your country and equate that with normal political dialogue and opposition?
“What is baffling about this false and baseless assertion is that this is coming, not from Boko Haram terrorists who the military kept largely in check and confined to a known section of the country, Sambisa, but from a so-called leading opposition party that fraudulently kept power for 16 years and is nursing the hope of one day returning to office as an elected government.
“What is more, under these corrupt politicians the insurgency conquered large swathes of territory-18 Local Government Areas.
“Pray, if a political party, in a blind search for power can spurn the interest of the nation, embrace the language of hate campaign against the country’s military as enunciated by the terrorists, as the PDP does, what will be left for the Boko Haram to do? PDP is doing Boko Haram’s work!”
“Wouldn’t it be beneficial to the nation that they publish such evidence instead of levying grave accusations without proves? And to ask, in whose interest are they making these accusations that lack any depth?”
PDP’s attacks on the ambassadorial nominations should be seen in the context of the opposition party’s track record as a university of liars, whose modus operandi is to propagate lies.
The President is rewarding hard work and exceptional sacrifice by a set of military leaders who gave their best to the nation and will be remembered, sooner than later, for their contributions to the security and survival of Nigeria as one nation. They (former service chiefs) should be allowed to move to the next level as this is so that their examples will help to inspire others if given the opportunity to serve.
President using ambassadorial
appointment to protect service
chiefs – PDP
It is indeed sacrilegious and a horrible assault on the sensibility of Nigerians that the APC government is seeking to use ambassadorial appointments as a desperate measure to secure diplomatic immunity for the former commanders and protect them from investigation, arrest and possible prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the atrocities committed against innocent Nigerians under their command.”
The PDP asserts that appointing the former service chiefs as ambassadors would confer diplomatic immunity on them and provide them with a route for escape.
“Moreover, the frenzy by officials of the Buhari Presidency in mounting pressure on the Senate to confirm such abominable ambassadorial nominations has further raised public apprehensions of a desperate attempt to cover the culpability of some other individuals connected to the APC administration”.
“It is shocking that instead of allowing the former service chiefs to answer for the alleged crime against humanity under their command including reported cases of extra-judicial execution, killing of unarmed protesters at Lekki Toll Gate, Lagos, rape, illegal arrest as well as detention and torture of innocent Nigerians, the APC administration is rather plotting their escape.
“The accused service chiefs must not be allowed to use diplomatic immunity to escape investigation and possible prosecution for the killing of unarmed EndSARS protester at Lekki Toll gate and other parts of the country as well as the hundreds of civilians reportedly killed by soldiers in the Zaria massacre.
“This is in addition to series of reported military invasions and the mass shooting in communities in Borno, Yobe, Rivers, Abia, Anambra among other states across the six geo-political zones of our country, where soldiers reportedly razed communities and massacred unarmed civilians under the command of the ex-service chiefs.”
Our party, therefore, calls on Nigerians, across the board, to unite in rejecting these ambassadorial nominations for the accused former commanders and demand that President Buhari should immediately withdraw their nominations from the Senate.
“The least that is expected of President Buhari is to direct the former service chiefs to answer for the alleged crimes”.
