The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it is height of irresponsible for the Peoples Democratic Party to politicize serious matters of security and national importance.
The ruling party made this submission following the leading opposition party’s allegation that the suspected Boko Haram members arrested for planning to attack the latter presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in his residence in Yola over the weekend, were sponsored by the APC.
In a statement by the party’s national publicity secretary, Barrister Felix Morka, APC described the PDP’s allegation was “bizarre and senseless”, however called on the police and Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the foiled attack on Mr Abubakar and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The PDP, in a press release on Monday said the attack had the hallmarks of a “sponsored attempt” to silence Atiku and cause chaos in the country.
The party said it believed that the attack was connected to the recent threats of chaos and anarchy by the All Progressives Congress (APC) if the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) upholds the clear provisions of Section 134 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) with regard to the mandatory and statutory requirements for which a Candidate in a Presidential election can be declared winner.
The PDP called on the Inspector General of Police to track down the sponsors of the attack and to bring them to book.
The party also called on security agencies to tighten security around Atiku and members of his family.
Read the full statement by the APC below:
INVESTIGATE PDP’S WILD AND MINDLESS ALLEGATIONS ON FOILED ATTACK ON ATIKU – APC URGES POLICE, DSS
In continuation of its vacuous and mindless campaign of calumny, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that suspected members of Boko Haram terrorist group arrested by the Police following their foiled plot to attack the residence of Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, in Yola, were sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Spewing lies and gibberish has become the PDP’s obsessive preoccupation following its crushing defeat in the last Presidential Election. This bizarre and senseless allegation comes only days after the same badly ailing Party alleged, without a shred of substantiation, that APC was engaged in a plot to intimidate members of the judiciary seeking to influence the outcome of pending cases before the Election Petitions Courts.
It is downright irresponsible for the PDP to continuously politicize serious matters of security and national importance for its vain and macabre humor. As an age-old Party, this ceaseless display of egregious incivility in the conduct of its affairs is disgraceful and SAD.
Acts of terror or involvement in a terrorist plot are heinous crimes under the law and the PDP cannot continue to bandy allegations around without justification. Atiku Abubakar is a citizen of Nigeria and deserves the fullest protection of the law. Our law enforcement authorities must protect and investigate any threat to his person, family or assets and prosecute offenders.
However, Atiku Abubakar’s PDP cannot continue to peddle criminal blackmail and wicked falsehoods in the name of opposition politics, unrestrained and without accountability.
We call on the Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant security services to investigate the PDP’s wild and bogus allegations, invite the PDP’s leadership to substantiate these claims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Nigerians roundly rejected the PDP at the polls. Rather than engage in some introspection and give the court the time of day to deliver a verdict in the case they have brought challenging the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, they have chosen to busy themselves with swimming in abysmal pool of lies and mischief.
While vigorously defending our legitimate and popular election mandate in court, our Party will continue to win the hearts and minds of Nigerians through President Tinubu’s strategic program of social and economic development designed to improve the living conditions of our people.
Signed:
Barr. Felix Morka
National Publicity Secretary
