PANTAMI: PDP says Presidency providing safe haven for sympathisers of terrorism

Despite the support being offered by the Presidency towards the embattled Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami, the main opposition party has berated it for what it says is its misguided stance on the matter.

This was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Kola Ologbondiyan.

Ologbondiyan criticised the justification offered by the administration for the continued stay of Pantami as a minister.

“Nigerians were traumatised that the Presidency could mount a hopeless defence and justification for the actions of the exposed Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, who had already confessed to supporting terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and Taliban.”

According to the statement, the “Buhari Presidency is a haven for traitors who are providing support to acts of terrorist activities in our nation.”

Consequently, the PDP linked this stance by the Presidency to the recent increase in banditry and insurgency since criminals are now emboldened due to a perceived lack of seriousness towards tackling this menace.

Read also: JNI rallies behind Pantami, slams reports linking minister to Yakowa’s death

“It is inexcusable that the Buhari Presidency is showing grave insensitivity to the fact that thousands of Nigerians have been massacred, maimed and horrified; that hundreds of communities have been devastated and that our nation has been under siege because of the actions and public comments by individuals like Isa Pantami,” the party said.

Fears amongst the populace about the compromise of security details especially the National Identification Number (NIN) also prompted the PDP to issue a call for the resignation of Pantami.

“This is in addition to allegations in the public space that the exposed minister had been compromising our national data as well as the NIN registration exercise, wherein aliens and invaders from other countries were alleged to have been registered as our citizens. These are issues that our party insists must be investigated by the Department of State Services (DSS).

“As a party, the PDP charges President Muhammadu Buhari to reassure the citizens by immediately withdrawing the statement from his Presidency, relieve Isa Pantami of his position as minister and take a bold step to flush out terrorist apologists from the Presidency,” the PDP declared.

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