The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, insisted that no amount of blackmail and allegations against President Goodluck Jonathan could exonerate the All Progressives Congress (APC) of blame for insurgency and wave of violence ravaging some northern states of the country.
National publicity secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, on Monday, said the memory of Nigerians was not short on the body language and inciting utterances of APC leaders, which had served as fuel to the raging flame of terrorism in the land.
According to the PDP, by going to the international media recently to distance themselves from complicity and in turning round to blame the PDP, the APC was asking Nigerians to suddenly grow forgetful of the barrage of statements by their leaders who promoted insurgency in the country.
The party observed that whereas a statesmanly statement from a person of General Buhari’s age and status could have helped douse the tension in the land, the APC standard-bearer chose incendiary remarks, which emboldened insurgents, apparently in keeping with the agenda of his party to achieve political control through violence.
The PDP compared the attitude of APC leaders on insurgency to “the metaphor of a young man sent on a criminal mission by the father, whose boldness knows no bounds.”
The statement read in parts: “Nigerians have not forgotten the spontaneous violence and mayhem on innocent citizens following inciting statements by Buhari and other APC leaders then in the defunct CPC, upon losing the 2011 presidential election.
“The APC leaders have, so far, left no Nigerian in doubt of their party’s violent disposition as General Buhari, in May 2012, remorselessly stated that ‘the monkey and baboon will be soaked in blood’ should he lose the 2015 presidential election.
“Attesting that penchant for violence flows in the portal vein of the rank and file of the APC, Buhari’s Man-Friday and former FCT Minister, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, in his capacity then as APC deputy national secretary, in January 2014, told the whole world that ‘the next election is likely to be violent and many people are likely going to die. And the only alternative left to get power is to take it by force; this is the reality on ground.’
“Nigerians have also read and heard other ricocheting calls for violence and threats of parallel government from other leaders of this same party. These are not just mere slips, but incontrovertible snips from the agenda of the APC to sustain insurgency and set the stage for carnage after they lose in the 2015 general election.
“We find it funny that the APC, which has presented its standard-bearer, General Buhari, as a macho mascot that will bring insurgency to an end in matter of weeks using sheer force, is turning round to play the card of dialogue just to disparage the president.
“Ironically, for over a year of General Buhari’s draconian rule in the 1980s and even now in pretended love for democracy, the General is never known to be amenable to any form of dialogue. So, where will this hyped Midas touch on dialogue come from?
“Well-meaning Nigerians appreciate the way and manner the Jonathan-led administration is confronting insurgency using dialogue and military option. Twice, the Council of State has appraised and endorsed this approach despite spirited efforts by the opposition to distract the president and demoralise our security forces.”
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