The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in the Senate of the National Assembly for betraying Nigerians with the confirmation of former services chiefs of the Nigerian military for ambassadorial appointments despite reports of crime against humanity committed under their command.
The PDP insisted that the confirmation will not stop the investigation and possible prosecution of the accused Nigerian military commanders by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crime against humanity, which preliminary steps have already commenced by the ICC.
“It is, indeed, horrendous that the APC leadership in the Senate could choose to betray Nigerians by rushing to clear the accused ex-service chiefs in a desperate attempt to grant them diplomatic immunity and shield them from investigation and prosecution for the atrocities committed against Nigerians under their command.
“Though it is public knowledge that the current APC Senate leadership is a mere rubber stamp and contrivance being used to endorse atrocious policies and suppress the will of the people, but descending to the level of aiding and abetting crime against humanity by attempting to confer diplomatic immunity on the accused ex-commanders is, to say the least, despicable.
“It is, indeed, shameful that the APC leadership in the Senate could clear the ex-service chiefs, who the National Assembly had earlier indicted and requested for their sack over security failures and alleged compromises.
“Such reward of failure amounts to stabbing our nation in the back,” PDP declared in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The PDP cautioned the APC leadership in the Senate that such decision has painted the entire National Assembly in a bad light before Nigerians and the international community.
The party pointed out that, “already, the development is pitching the Senate against the majority of Nigerians, particularly, the victims of acts of terrorism as well as those of the reported extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests, illegal detentions in dehumanizing camps, massacre of peaceful protesters, torture, rape and other atrocities allegedly committed under the ex-commanders, as detailed in the reports of credible international bodies including the United States Department of State, Amnesty International (AI) and Transparency International (TI).”
The PDP, however, commended its members in the Senate for rejecting the clearance of the ex-service chiefs, who include Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, and others as ambassadors, urging them not to relent in taking legislative steps to ensure their recall.
leading the PDP in the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senate Minority Leader, had questioned the decision of the senate to confirm the former service chiefs who had ignored their invitation by the senate, and who the senate had demanded their sack.
The senate president, Ahmad Lawan, however, overruled the Senate Minority Leader, and insisted on the confirmation of the former service chiefs for ambassadorial appointments by President Muhammadu Buhari.