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 National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on Tuesday said inflammatory utterances by certain key politicians against the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan, sparked off hatred against the administration by their followers, while attracting impudent insurgents, who started demanding the ouster of the President with threats to cripple the system through acts of terrorism .
“When the PDP, said that the All Progressive Party, (APC) is responsible for the spate of terror in Nigeria, many had an emotional response, but it is now time to dispassionately focus on the facts in order to stop the carnage on innocent Nigerians.
“Whilst we concede that insurgency existed in the nation before the advent of the current administration, we wish to point out that inflammatory utterances from leaders, many of whom by design or otherwise are now chieftains of the APC have succeeded in emboldening them to launch large scale attacks , maiming and killing
our people, believing their actions enjoy the approval of such leaders”, the statement said.
The party observed that such utterances would likely have prompted donations in support of insurgency from followers of such leaders, who thought they were sponsoring a worthy cause.
It noted that these key figures never condemned acts of terrorism and the killings until well-meaning Nigerians started pointing accusing fingers at them. “They rather blamed government for not reaching out to pacify the terrorists instead of helping to find solutions. They relished in comments which inspired violence and embolden insurgents against the system” the statement said.
The party insisted that it was not a coincidence that after General Muhammadu Buhari beckoned on his supporters to go on lynching spree should he lose the 2011 presidential election, an unprecedented violence broke out, claiming the lives of hundreds of innocent Nigeria.
“Not satisfied with the enormity of the mayhem and bloodletting of 2011, Buhari on the 14th of May 2012 said, “If what happened in 2011 (alleged rigging) should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood.’’
“Nigerians have not forgotten that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in a spirited bid to stop President Jonathan from contesting the 2011 election declared on the 14th of December 2010 that “those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable”
“Atiku’s statement was collaborated by one his close associates, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, who in October 2010, while rejecting the emergence of a President from the South, also said, ‘the North is determined, if it happens, to make the country ungovernable for President Jonathan or any other Southerner who finds his way to the seat of power……Even if he uses incumbency power to get his nomination on the platform of the PDP, he would be frustrated out.’
“On the 23rd of January 2014, APC Deputy National Secretary, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, said “The next election is likely to be violent and many people are likely going to die. And the only alternative left to get power is to take it by force; this is the reality on ground.
“Are we not now witnessing a foretaste of the bloodbath promised by Buhari and El-Rufai? Is this not the “violent change” promised by Atiku? How many people have to die before Nigerians call a spade a spade and not a farming implement?
“We were not surprised when Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi now a leader in the APC, in inciting his followers recently said, ‘I came to Bori to prove to you that you don’t need to run away from violence. If a man is chasing you with AK-47, you should carry machine gun and the man will call for peace.’
“We also recall recent statement by the Borno state governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima wherein he posited that the insurgents were better armed and better motivated than our security forces. This was deliberately directed at weakening and undermining the security forces while emboldening insurgents. No wonder that after Shettima’s statement, insurgents were encouraged to launch more deadly attacks on our security forces and staged a comeback to the Federal Capital Territory. This is in addition to statements by Governor Nyako of Adamawa State who continually, ridicules the office and person of the President to portray the administration as weak in fighting terrorism”, the statement said.
The party insisted that the reason the APC leaders were promoting insurgency was not only to distract the President and rubbish his score card but also to unleash unprecedented mayhem, divide the people and forcefully take over power when it loses the 2015 general election.
It said that its statement Monday which again linked the Nyanya bombing to the utterances of the opposition was a clear stand and a warning that the PDP would henceforth go beyond shedding tears at each carnage, to exposing the enemies of the nation, so as to limit all reckless statements which have been fueling insurgency.
“It is easier to stop at shedding tears after each carnage. This, the PDP has severally done. The difficult part however, lies in attempting to limit reckless statements which fuel violence. We believe this will go a long way to stopping those who instigate violence through utterances and shed crocodile tears thereafter” it said.
The party vowed to continue to protect the welfare and interest of Nigerians adding that the citizens and the Federal Government will not succumb to the designs of unpatriotic elements.
“Indeed, the peace, unity and stability of this country remain non-negotiable. They can bomb and attack, but one thing is sure; they cannot kill the Nigerian spirit in our people and our collective resolve to live together as one nation under God.
“The leadership of the PDP and the government we formed shall not be cowed, intimidated, harassed or tele-guided by acts of terrorism. The PDP is willing, able and ready to sustain the unity and stability of this country. We therefore call on all Nigerians to stand up and collectively defend our common destiny by openly condemning acts of terrorism and exposing those behind them”, the statement said.