The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday decried that the revelations trailing the abduction and release of 600 students of Government Secondary School in Katsina State by bandits further exposed the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party in league with bandits, insurgents and terrorists ravaging the nation.
The PDP in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, argued that such revelations further explain why the APC has been acting as the mouthpiece of bandits, rationalizing killings and kidnapping, showing express sympathy to terrorists, refusing to condemn acts of terrorism but attacking any person or groups that dare to criticize the activities of these bandits or demand the unconditional release of abductees.
“Indeed, the Thursday’s statement by the Governor Mai Buni-led leadership of the APC, in which it showed support to bandits by condemning genuine protest by Nigerian women and youth in Abuja, has further betrayed the APC as a party that has vested interest in the proceeds of these reprehensible enterprises.
“Moreover, the statement credited to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, wherein he attempted to rationalize the abduction of the 600 students as a normal occurrence in other parts of the world, validates apprehensions of high-level conspiracy against helpless Nigerians.
“The outburst by the Buhari Presidency, blaming the killed 43 farmers in Borno State instead of taking steps to apprehend their assailants also readily comes to mind,” the PDP declared.
The mainlined that the posers are: “why is the APC always showing sympathy for and canvassing understanding for bandits, insurgents and terrorists?
“Why is the APC not always forthcoming in condemning acts of terrorism and banditry but only issuing lame and patronizing press statements after being prodded and called-out by well-meaning Nigerians including the PDP?
“Furthermore, why is the APC and its administration always attacking any person or groups who condemns acts of terrorism or make suggestions on how to vanquish the terrorists?
“What is APC and its leaders gaining from the activities of bandits, terrorists, vandals and kidnappers, that they now act as if they are sureties for these assailants?
“Why has APC refused to account for the political mercenaries it imported from Niger Republic and Chad to unleash violence during the 2019 elections as well as come clean on allegations that they are these crops of people are unleashing their anger on the nation following the failure of the APC to settle them.”
The PDP stated that this is particularly against the backdrop of reported declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari that the abductors and tormentors of the 600 traumatized and brutalized students were rather “settled”; noting: “a statement that does not only confirm that the Buhari Presidency cannot combat terrorists but also explains why banditry, kidnapping and acts of terrorism have become a thriving bloody business under the APC.”
The PDP articulated that it is imperative to state that the APC’s sympathy for acts of terrorism had led to escalated attacks on Nigerian compatriots in the last five years.
“It is also very worrisome that our government under the APC can no longer battle bandits and insurgent and now has to rely on nascent groups coordinated by APC leaders to negotiate and pay ransom to assailants.
“Such devious designs have elevated acts of terrorism to a per-second affair in our nation under the encouragement of the APC,” PDP highlighted.
The PDP pointed out that the reported attack on the traditional ruler of Kaura Namoda in Zamfara state as well as the abduction of the traditional ruler of Ankpa in Kogi State, just after the settlement of the Katsina bandits, shows a disturbing trend.
The PDP, then, called on Nigerians to hold the APC responsible for the escalated act of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism ravaging the nation.
“Perhaps, the time has come for Nigerians, whose loved ones have been kidnapped or killed by kidnappers or bandits, to approach the APC for redress,” PDP advocated.