PDP, Fayose tackle Buhari on killings in Zamfara, Yobe; ex-gov alleges sinister plot

The opposition Peoples Democratic Part (PDP) has continued to mount pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to rise up to his responsibility as the Chief security officer of the nation.

The party also expressed displeasure over Monday’s killings of innocent Nigerians in Zamfara State and a similar attack of Kukareta in Damaturu, Yobe state, where a police officer attached to the state governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, was killed

But the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose holds on to the opinion that there was more to the killings in Zamfara state than meets the eyes, saying the APC was planning to install emergency rule in the state.

Kola Ologbondiyan, the spokesman of the PDP, in a statement on Tuesday, called on the President to use his remaining days in office to resolve the insecurity challenges in the country.

The statement read in part: “The PDP holds that the situation in Zamfara and other states in the North-West, in addition to the heightened insecurity in the North-East and North-Central in the last three and half years, under President Buhari, shows that it is time for our dear President to review his parade and reappraise his strategy.

“Indeed, our nation cannot continue to afford the daily killing and maiming of our compatriots by marauders. This is not the way to go, and we charge President Buhari to end his buck-passing and immediately take up his responsibility as the chief security officer of our country by using the remaining days left in his tenure to address his parade.”

The party saluted the courage of security agents who have taken it upon themselves to keep the country at peace.

Read also: Melaye alleges plan by IGP to arrest, kill him

Fayose In his part, alleged that the plot was deliberate by APC-led Federal government as a response to the insistence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to allow the APC to field candidates for the 2019 general election in Zamfara State as a result of failure to comply with the Electoral Act.

Fayose, who is the Southwest Coordinator of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, made these points in a statement personally signed by him on Tuesday. The former governor alleged that the federal government plot was aimed at paving way for a fresh electoral process in the state so that APC can field candidates.

“With the emergency rule, there will only be Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state in February next year while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will be postponed till May,” he said.

He also chided the federal government, saying, “using the killings to achieve political goal is not only wicked but inhuman.”

He called on the governor of the state, Abdul-aziz Yari Abubakar, whom he said was out of the country to immediately return to the state and be a “man and stand in defense of his people rather than standing with their oppressors.”

He added, “I’m aware that the governor is abroad and I advise that he should return home. This is the time for him to be a man and stand in defense of his people rather than standing with their oppressors.”
By Babatunde Alao….

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