President Buhari Is Absent, Has Left Nigerian In The Hands Of Bandits And Terrorists – PDP

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing him of ‘handing over’ Nigeria to bandits and terrorists.

The PDP in a statement on Wednesday by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said the President has abdicated his responsibilities.

The PDP was making reference to a statement by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed who said kidnapping and banditry were not federal offences, hence it was not the responsibility of the federal government to prosecute suspected kidnappers and bandits.

The PDP said the statement by Mohammed is a confirmation that Buhari and the APC have handed Nigeria over to criminals.

Ologbondiyan said Buhari who had promised and expected to lead the war against insurgency and insecurity from the front has now abdicated his responsibilities.

The full statement reads: “The statement by the minister is another clear evidence that President Muhammadu Buhari is indeed absent, has completely abdicated the responsibilities of his office and capitulated to bandits.”

“Lai Mohammed’s statement further reveals that the Buhari Presidency has not been committed to combating banditry but had, all along, been feeding Nigerians with lies, propaganda and falsehood, while bandits are pillaging our nation.”

“It is incredulous that the Buhari Presidency, in its failures, is abdicating a responsibility exclusively vested on it by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to operate all apparatus of national security; the police, military, paramilitary and all other armed services; to secure lives and property in all parts of our country.”

“Perhaps, President Buhari and his minister of information need to be tutored that the Second Schedule (Exclusive Legislative List) clearly vested the control of all apparatus of national security on the Federal Government and not the states.”

“Items 2, 28, 38, 45, 57 of the Exclusive List are clear in vesting the operation of the police, the military and other armed services; the control of arms and ammunitions as well as criminal records among other statutory paraphernalia of national security on the Federal Government and not the state. The APC and the Buhari Presidency needs to be tutored that bandits and kidnappers are terrorists and that in line with the provisions of our constitution, the agencies vested with the statutory responsibility of protecting Nigerians from such outlaws are under the control of the Federal Government.”

“It is unthinkable that President Buhari, who promised to lead from the front, is now running away from duty while seeking to heap the burden of his office on the states, who do not have control of security agencies.”

“Moreover, the fact that a cabinet minister in the shade of Lai Mohammed is left to address this critical aspect of our national security that is vested on the President, shows that our nation is plagued by Presidential absenteeism and a dysfunctional command structure.”

“Such situation never occurred under the PDP administration. Now that President Buhari and the APC-led Federal Government can no longer guarantee the safety of lives and property, the only way out is for the National Assembly to immediately amend the constitution and establish state police to guarantee the security of Nigerians as already recommended by the PDP.”

“The PDP calls on President Buhari to come out of hiding and address the nation, in his own voice, on the worsening insecurity in our country, occasioned by his misrule.”

Meanwhile, the leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has warned the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu against contesting the 2023 presidency.

This is as he warned that Tinubu is only being deceived by sycophants and has not done enough to become Nigeria’s next president.

Ayodele added that if Tinubu goes ahead with his 2023 presidential ambition, he would be disgraced and molested.

On former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Primate Ayodele warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain not to bother contesting but go and rest.