The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of sponsoring the wave of violent attacks in some parts of the country as part of its schemes to discredit the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in view of returning to power in 2023.
While vowing that it was only a matter of time before sponsors of such attacks are exposed and dealt with, APC recalled how the PDP had been chased out of power in 2015 on account of the erstwhile ruling party’s lacklustre performance in security, saying the PDP is not qualified to chastise Buhari’s handling of security.
The APC however reassured Nigerians that the security of the nation is of the highest priority to the President Buhari administration and the government is effectively deploying resources to ensure that all Nigerians go about their activities in peace and safety.
National Secretary of the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe who stated this Monday in Abuja, noted that ‘going by the major role played and the negligent handling of insecurity by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP when it was in government, the failed opposition party is seriously unqualified to speak on how this government is tackling insecurity and the attendant rot the PDP left behind’.
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‘The PDP apparently chooses to forget how the same insecurity it now desperately seeks to politicise, metamorphosed and festered under its watch which ultimately led Nigerians to overwhelmingly reject it in the 2015 elections through their votes’, Akpanudoedehe added.
APC said Nigerians still recall how bad things got under the PDP to the extent that Buhari before he was elected President was attacked by terrorists in Kaduna State.
Part of the statement reads; ‘The country’s capital, Abuja became the epicentre of Boko Haram attacks with brazen bomb attacks on the United Nations building, the Police Headquarters, recreation centres, markets, motor parks and Eagle Square where foreign heads of governments gathered to celebrate the country’s independence, among others.
‘Lest we forget monies meant to buy arms to fight insurgents was stolen and diverted to private pockets of PDP members and their cronies while Boko Haram seized Nigeria’s territory and hoisted their flags.
‘This is no longer the case under the government of President Buhari. Security funds are no longer being pocketed and no inch of Nigeria’s territory is under the control of the now decimated insurgents.
‘Aside emerging security incidents recorded in some parts of the country which is equally being tackled by our security services with great success, the APC is not oblivious of the politically-motivated security incidents being sponsored to discredit and destabilise this government. These evil sponsors and perpetrators will soon be unravelled and made to face the full weight of the law.
‘In keeping with our election promise to Nigerians, President Buhari has shown uncommon leadership, intent and capacity to permanently end all security incidents and criminalities in the country.
“So, for the PDP to suggest the country’s security situation is at its worst when it was rejected by the electorates in 2015 shows that its leadership is out of touch with the state of the nation, particularly successes recorded by this government in safeguarding lives and livelihoods of Nigerians.
‘The record investments in the procurement of military and intelligence platforms, training and retraining of service personnel by the Buhari-led administation have led to the neutralisation of insurgents, arrests of bandits and kidnappers by our security services.
‘While the PDP labours to politicise security incidents in some parts of the country, the truth is this government’s promise of ending insecurity is on course and would soon be realised.
‘On a daily basis, insurgents are surrendering to our security services, bandits and kidnappers camps are being sacked, our forests are being cleared of criminal and other undesirable elements. It is clearly no longer business as usual for these criminals as was the case in the previous administration.
‘Under this government, the military and other security services have been re-professionalised and re-equipped to meet the growing exigencies of security in the country.
‘The APC thanks Nigerians for trusting the President Buhari government to end the security incidents in spite of unpatriotic, insincere and insensitive interventions by the PDP constantly seeking political gains from issues of insecurity.
‘While we urge continued support to the military and other security agencies against insecurity, we renew our charge that irrespective of political, religious and ethnic affiliations, it is the right thing to come together in our strive to bring the menace of insecurity to an end’ the statement concluded.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK