Press Statement
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again decried the failure of the
President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC)
administration to contain the incessant killings of vulnerable Nigerians
by insurgents and bandits in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna,
Kogi, Taraba and other parts of the country.
The PDP is greatly hurt by the horror, anguish, agony, torture and
cruelty our compatriots are facing in the hands of bandits, insurgents
and kidnappers, following the failure of the APC administration to get
its acts together, tighten our security architecture and secure our
nation, despite the huge resources it claimed to have spent.
Our party holds that the situation where marauders and insurgents, who
had been pushed to the fringes by the PDP administration, had resurged
under the APC, to the extent of occupying territories, ravaging
communities and killing our citizens with reckless abandon, raises a lot
of questions.
The PDP further notes that the frightening situation where bandits have
reportedly taken control of some parts of our nation and even grant
permission and consent to residents before they can conduct weddings,
naming ceremonies or operate their markets, is completely inexcusable.
It is even more lamentable that the bandits had become so emboldened by
the failure of the APC administration to the extent of holding Mr.
President’s home state, Katsina, to ransom.
Our party invites Nigerians to note that the APC has failed to account
for the whereabouts of the political ‘mercenaries’ it imported into our
country from neighboring countries, particularly from Chad and Niger
Republic, to participate in its campaigns during the build-up to the
2019 general elections.
Nigerians can recall that the PDP had cautioned on the perils of the
importation of unscreened aliens by the APC to involve in its
presidential election campaign rallies.
Our party had warned that such elements could be used to unleash acts of
violence, including banditry against Nigerians. The escalation of
banditry since the 2019 elections, therefore calls for a deep
soul-searching by the APC and its leaders.
Moreover, some APC governors are reported to have had contacts,
discussions and even negotiations with the bandits: a situation which
also demands that the APC and such governors come clean on links with
marauders.
Furthermore, Nigerians have observed the failure of the APC, as a party,
to raise a strong voice in giving its government, marching orders
against banditry. The APC had not taken any decisive action or proffered
any significant suggestion in the effort to secure our nation, beyond
lame condolence messages to victims of the attacks.
The PDP holds that the time has come for the APC to define its stand on
the issue of insecurity in Nigeria, particularly the call by
well-meaning Nigerians on President Buhari to rejig our nation’s top
security architecture and inject new blood into the system.
The PDP weeps for the victims of the mindless attacks and restates its
call on President Buhari to wake up from slumber and take conclusive
steps, beyond speeches, to flush the bandits out of our nation.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary