The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday, said the open confession by the Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, confirms its position that the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration knows the whereabouts and plans of the terrorists ravaging the nation but deliberately refuse to act, Leadership reports.
The opposition party also said the revelation by the minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, that some members of the APC-controlled Federal Executive Council (FEC) frustrated his request to install security surveillance equipment to avert terrorist attack on the Kaduna-Abuja rail track, confirms that the APC administration has been creating safety nets for terrorists to freely operate in the country.
The national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, in a statement quoted el-Rufai as saying: “we know where their camps are, we know where they are, the SSS has their phone numbers, they listen to them and they give me report…”
Ologunagba also quoted Amaechi thus: “We knew what the problems will be. We knew we needed to have digital security equipment…I warned that lives will be lost and now lives are lost… When you come with sincerity to government and your colleagues are stopping you, it is annoying.”
Ologunagba, however, said the revelations from the high-ranking APC public officials, who are in the position to know, was troubling as they are unequivocal confirmation that “APC leaders are in league with terrorists.”
The PDP spokesman added that it was not surprising that President Muhammadu Buhari insisted on retaining Dr. Isa Pantami, who he described as a self-confessed terrorist apologist, to continue to head the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, which is indispensable in any meaningful fight against terrorism in the country.
“Nigerians will recall that the PDP has variously and consistently requested for a total overhaul and change of guard at the Ministry of Communications, which advice, like every other from Nigerians have been ignored, arising from the culture of arrogance in failure of the APC.
“The fact that the Buhari-led government atrociously refused to act despite having full intelligence on the whereabouts as well as the plans of the terrorists confirms grave complicity and conspiracy against our nation at the very top level of the APC government’s security command and control coordination structure.
“It also confirms that the APC government has conceded sovereignty over a part of our country to terrorists who, as a former APC leader confessed, were brought from neighboring countries by the APC as “political mercenaries” to rig the 2019 general elections.
“That informs why the APC is deliberately suppressing information and exposing our brave and gallant armed forces to harm’s way while watching innocent Nigerians perish in the hands of terrorists.
“This is consistent with the character of the APC administration which places low or no premium on the lives of Nigerians as evidenced in the huge number of our compatriots killed since the APC took over governance in 2015. To the APC government; every Nigerian is a dot in circle which is considered inconsequential.”
Ologunagba said the situation also reveals why the APC administration has refused to adequately seek or accept assistance from foreign nations, even when offered, to track and plug sources of funding for terrorism in the country.
PDP spokesman, who while recalling what transpired during the 2019 elections, quoted Governor el-Rufai as having declared that, “‘those that are calling for anyone to come and intervene in Nigeria, we are waiting for the persons that will come and intervene, they will go back in body bags.’”
“The question to ask is, who were those that el-Rufai had in mind will implement his body bag threat?
“It is clear that the APC is complicit in the many acts of terrorism in our country. Nigerians should therefore be united in ensuring that the APC is voted out of power in 2023 so that our nation can breathe a new lease of life,” the opposition party stated.
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