The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reiterated calls on Nigerians to
\nstand up and resist unpatriotic elements whose actions and utterances have
\ncontinued to fuel insurgency in the country.<\/p>\n
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on
\nTuesday said inflammatory utterances by certain key politicians against
\nthe emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan, sparked off hatred against
\nthe administration by their followers, while attracting impudent
\ninsurgents, who started demanding the ouster of the President with
\nthreats to cripple the system through acts of terrorism .<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the PDP, said that the All Progressive Party, (APC) is responsible
\nfor the spate of terror in Nigeria, many had an emotional response, but it
\nis now time to dispassionately focus on the facts in order to stop the
\ncarnage on innocent Nigerians.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhilst we concede that insurgency existed in the nation before the advent
\nof the current administration, we wish to point out that inflammatory
\nutterances from leaders, many of whom by design or otherwise are now
\nchieftains of the APC have succeeded in emboldening them to launch large
\nscale attacks , maiming and killing
\nour people, believing their actions enjoy the approval of such leaders\u201d,
\nthe statement said.<\/p>\n
The party observed that such utterances would likely have prompted
\ndonations in support of insurgency from followers of such leaders, who
\nthought they were sponsoring a worthy cause.<\/p>\n
It noted that these key figures never condemned acts of terrorism and the
\nkillings until well-meaning Nigerians started pointing accusing fingers at
\nthem. \u201cThey rather blamed government for not reaching out to pacify the
\nterrorists instead of helping to find solutions. They relished in
\ncomments which inspired violence and embolden insurgents against the
\nsystem\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
The party insisted that it was not a coincidence that after General
\nMuhammadu Buhari beckoned on his supporters to go on lynching spree should
\nhe lose the 2011 presidential election, an unprecedented violence broke
\nout, claiming the lives of hundreds of innocent Nigeria.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot satisfied with the enormity of the mayhem and bloodletting of 2011,
\nBuhari on the 14th of May 2012 said, “If what happened in 2011 (alleged
\nrigging) should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the
\nbaboon would all be soaked in blood.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cNigerians have not forgotten that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar,
\nin a spirited bid to stop President Jonathan from contesting the 2011
\nelection declared on the 14th of December 2010 that “those who make
\npeaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable”<\/p>\n
\u201cAtiku\u2019s statement was collaborated by one his close associates, Alhaji
\nLawal Kaita, who in October 2010, while rejecting the emergence of a
\nPresident from the South, also said, \u2018the North is determined, if it
\nhappens, to make the country ungovernable for President Jonathan or any
\nother Southerner who finds his way to the seat of power\u2026…Even if he uses
\nincumbency power to get his nomination on the platform of the PDP, he
\nwould be frustrated out.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the 23rd of January 2014, APC Deputy National Secretary, Malam Nasir
\nEl-Rufai, said \u201cThe next election is likely to be violent and many people
\nare likely going to die. And the only alternative left to get power is to
\ntake it by force; this is the reality on ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre we not now witnessing a foretaste of the bloodbath promised by Buhari
\nand El-Rufai? Is this not the “violent change” promised by Atiku? How many
\npeople have to die before Nigerians call a spade a spade and not a farming
\nimplement?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were not surprised when Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi now a
\nleader in the APC, in inciting his followers recently said, \u2018I came to
\nBori to prove to you that you don\u2019t need to run away from violence. If a
\nman is chasing you with AK-47, you should carry machine gun and the man
\nwill call for peace.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also recall recent statement by the Borno state governor, Alhaji
\nKashim Shettima wherein he posited that the insurgents were better armed
\nand better motivated than our security forces. This was deliberately
\ndirected at weakening and undermining the security forces while
\nemboldening insurgents. No wonder that after Shettima\u2019s statement,
\ninsurgents were encouraged to launch more deadly attacks on our security
\nforces and staged a comeback to the Federal Capital Territory. This is in
\naddition to statements by Governor Nyako of Adamawa State who
\ncontinually, ridicules the office and person of the President to portray
\nthe administration as weak in fighting terrorism\u201d, the statement said.<\/p>\n
The party insisted that the reason the APC leaders were promoting
\ninsurgency was not only to distract the President and rubbish his score
\ncard but also to unleash unprecedented mayhem, divide the people and
\nforcefully take over power when it loses the 2015 general election.<\/p>\n
It said that its statement Monday which again linked the Nyanya bombing to
\nthe utterances of the opposition was a clear stand and a warning that the
\nPDP would henceforth go beyond shedding tears at each carnage, to
\nexposing the enemies of the nation, so as to limit all reckless statements
\nwhich have been fueling insurgency.<\/p>\n
“It is easier to stop at shedding tears after each carnage. This, the PDP
\nhas severally done. The difficult part however, lies in attempting to
\nlimit reckless statements which fuel violence. We believe this will go a
\nlong way to stopping those who instigate violence through utterances and
\nshed crocodile tears thereafter\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
The party vowed to continue to protect the welfare and interest of
\nNigerians adding that the citizens and the Federal Government will not
\nsuccumb to the designs of unpatriotic elements.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndeed, the peace, unity and stability of this country remain
\nnon-negotiable. They can bomb and attack, but one thing is sure; they
\ncannot kill the Nigerian spirit in our people and our collective resolve
\nto live together as one nation under God.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe leadership of the PDP and the government we formed shall not be
\ncowed, intimidated, harassed or tele-guided by acts of terrorism. The PDP
\nis willing, able and ready to sustain the unity and stability of this
\ncountry. We therefore call on all Nigerians to stand up and collectively
\ndefend our common destiny by openly condemning acts of terrorism and
\nexposing those behind them\u201d, the statement said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reiterated calls on Nigerians to stand up and resist unpatriotic elements whose actions and utterances have continued to fuel insurgency in the country. PDP…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18380,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n