The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), of trying to make political gains from the war against Boko Haram, by stating that he will end Boko Haram insurgency in a few months, if elected.
In a statement issued by the national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in Abuja, on Wednesday, the PDP regretted Buhari’s insinuation that the Federal Government had failed in its attempt to tackle the problem and it would only end when Buhari was elected.
It said: “It is unfortunate that Buhari, being a former head of state, has continued to play politics with a very serious security challenge, which has claimed the lives of many Nigerians, by always trying to use the pains of the people to score cheap political points at a time all patriotic Nigerians are joining hands with government to look for solution.
“Rather than show patriotism by collaborating with the Federal Government, the APC presidential aspirant prefers that the nation has no solution until the time he is able to step in as president with his ‘magic wand’ to end the insurgency.
“This not only exposes a height of insensitivity, but also a clear absence of genuine love and concern for the people. Assuming, without conceding that he has the solution to the problem, should Buhari as a prominent citizen not have put the country first before any selfish political agenda and personal aggrandizement?”
The PDP noted that whereas the Federal Government had shown incontrovertible commitment to ending the insurgency by deploying troops and equipping the military, “opposition leaders, including Buhari, have continued in their desperate attempt to sabotage the efforts by making statements that encourage insurgency and which are capable of demoralising and dividing our security agencies.”
The statement added: “Nigerians appreciate the fact that the Federal Government has been able to sustain the battle to repel the insurgents through the gallant efforts of our armed forces, who have continued to put their lives on the line in defence of our nation and her people.”
While noting the efforts of government in the last four years in tackling insurgency, the statement observed that “our military, which had suffered years of neglect, is being re-equipped, care is being provided for victims and the displaced while advocacy; consultations, as well as national and international collaboration have been strengthened to find lasting solution to the challenge.
It is against this backdrop that the PDP sees Buhari’s declaration and the seeming self-indictment contained in the declaration as cheap politics, especially considering his antecedents and the disposition of his party, the APC, in promoting division among Nigerians and fanning the embers of violence and insurgency through series of sustained incendiary statements,” the statement said.
The PDP recalled the various statements made in the past by Buhari, which it said were counterproductive to the effort at preserving the unity of the country.
The PDP further stated: “We have an opposition party, whose leaders tend to celebrate attacks by insurgents aimed at brutalising the citizens and embarrassing the nation and the present administration.
When a founding chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, said a few weeks back in a newspaper interview that the APC had a solution to the Boko Haram sect, but would keep it until they got to power, Nigerians wondered if there existed certain links that were more than meet the eyes.
It is, indeed, sad that Buhari, who was once a military governor of the North-East, which encompassed Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, has failed to use his connections to assist in bringing peace to the nation he desires to rule again.
Instead, he chooses to accuse the Federal Government and the military of having a hidden agenda of destroying the North, thereby hampering the efforts of the military to build relationships and trust in communities affected by the insurgency. A prominent Nigerian in the mold of Buhari should not be playing politics with the destiny of a nation and the security of Nigerians.
“The PDP wishes to state without any equivocation that Buhari has failed to articulate any vision to unite and prosper Nigeria since he came into politics.
He has failed to show any commitment to the Nigerian project and the advancement of its cause as a nation state; instead, a sinister and divisive mission robed with an outdated, fabled anti-corruption agenda is all that is being presented.
Finally, we call on all Nigerians, irrespective of political leanings, to unite with our military in the war against terror. No time in the history of our country has there been a greater need than now for all Nigerians from all the corners of our great nation to act and display patriotism in actions and deeds. The time to show support and love for our soldiers and victims of the insurgents is now. Whenever you see a Nigerian soldier smile at him, tell him well-done and wish him well.
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