According to The Punch, the All Progressives Congress has called on the Peoples Democratic Party and the Federal Government to shun any plan to assassinate Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). The APC also raised the alarm over an alleged plot by ruling party to discredit Buhari. The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said the PDP-led government had security men specially trained as snipers to eliminate those opposed to President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid. He said:
“I have never seen a government so terrified of elections as this present administration. And I have never seen a candidate so terrified of the opposition as Jonathan. Even as recent as last week, (Ekiti State Governor Ayodele) Fayose was asking for the withdrawal of Buhari from the Presidential election; and it is just bizarre – but that coming from Fayose, one should not be surprising.
“Coming to issue of security, they have made an attempt on his (Buhari) life once before; it can be done again. But, let us warn them that any attempt on the life of Buhari or Bola Tinubu will lead to a consequence that will be very dear for this country. They should not even contemplate it.”
Muhammed told one of our correspondents that the allegation by former President Olusegun Obasanjo concerning President Jonathan’s administration training snipers to assassinate opposition politicians was true. The APC spokesman claimed the Special Force Team was drawn from the Police, the Air Force, the Navy, the Department of Security Service and the National Intelligence Agency.
“It is true. They were trained in Belarus. They are security agents drawn from the NIA, the DSS, the Police, the Air Force and the Navy. They were trained on how to take out targets without any trace or without being discovered and they will leave the scene quietly.”
In spite of this alleged threat, Mohammed said all APC members and supporters should remain resolute and calm. But the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Abdullahi Jalo, has urged the APC to provide evidence of any of such plan by the ruling party to assassinate Buhari.
“The PDP is committed to the election peace pact signed in Abuja. We will abide by it. It is a covenant we are determined to keep. Having said that, the burden of proof concerning Lai’s allegation rests on him and the party. In the usual manner of whipping up sentiments to deceive Nigerians, they have come up with this propaganda.
Let him and his party provide photo, video, audio or meeting place where a plot to assassinate their presidential candidate was hatched. Nigerians have become wiser today. They cannot be swayed by the APC propaganda machine,” the PDP spokesman said.