The main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has reacted to the warning issued by President Muhammadu Buhari against sponsors of insecurity in the country, urging the president to match his words with actions
Buhari in the statement issued on Tuesday also vowed to respond to the provocations of secessionists, noting that agitators were too young to know the loss of lives and other tragedies that attended the Nigerian civil war of 1967 to 1970.
He made these remarks at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after being briefed by the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, on series of attacks on facilities of the electoral body across the country.
These were contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, titled, ‘Those who want to destroy this country have shock coming their way, says President Buhari.’
In its reaction, the PDP, advised the President to stop issuing threat and act decisively to end insecurity in the country.
Arising from the meeting with the INEC boss. Buhari issued a stern warning to those who were eager to negate the progress of the country by promoting insurrection and burning down critical national infrastructure.
He said, “I receive daily security reports on the attacks, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail.
“Insecurity in Nigeria is now mentioned all over the world. All the people who want power, whoever they are, you wonder what they really want.
“Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives. We have given them enough time.”
Speaking on the dangers that the burning of INEC facilities would pose to the 2023 general elections, Buhari said he would give the electoral commission all it needed to operate.
“We will fully support INEC so that no one would say we don’t want to go, or that we want a third term. There will be no excuse for failure. We’ll meet all INEC’s demands,” he said.
The President told the chairman that the service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police had been changed, “and we will demand security from them.”
The statement read, “He (the President) said those misbehaving in certain parts of the country were obviously too young to know the travails and loss of lives that attended the Nigerian Civil War.”
“Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand. We are going to be very hard sooner than later.”
He promised to continue leading Nigeria by the constitutional provisions.
In his remarks, Yakubu said that so far, there had been 42 cases of attacks on INEC offices nationwide, since the 2019 general elections.
He said, “The 42 incidents so far occurred in 14 states of the Federation for a variety of reasons…Most of the attacks happened in the last seven months, and they are unrelated to protest against previous elections.
“From the pattern and frequency of the most recent attacks, they appear to be targeted at future elections. The intention is to incapacitate the commission, undermine the nation’s democracy and precipitate a national crisis.”
However, The PDP in its reaction to the President’s statement charged him to lead the fight front the forefront rather than issue mere talks.
This was disclosed by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, in an interview with Punch.
He said, “On the issue of security, the expectation of Nigerians is that Mr. President should lead the battle against insecurity from the front like he promised during his electioneering.
“But the inactions of Mr President today are responsible for the deluge of insecurity that has affected our nation. The expectation of Nigerians furthermore, is that these challenges should not be limited to the issues of lip talk; rather, they should be confronted so that Nigerians can sleep with their two eyes closed.”
Speaking on the 2023 elections, Ologbondiyan said, “The least Nigerians expect from the President for INEC to function optimally, is for him to revisit the Electoral Act amendment which he refused to assent to.
“He should dust it up and return it to the National Assembly if there are further amendments they should be included. Let them work on it and return it to him to sign into law so that our elections will be better.
“Mr President should also encourage INEC to institutionalise the electronic transfer of results in order to forestall problems that arise in the process of collation. This is not too much to ask.
“As a political party interested in the corporate existence of this great country, we are prepared like we have always done, to offer advice and assist in every legitimate way to help Nigeria overcome its challenges.”
On its part, the All Progressives Congress said it had no interest in trading words with the PDP over what the President said.
When contacted, the Acting National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, said, “Our President has spoken, there is nothing more to add.”