The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the presidential statement backing Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, shows a “desperation to provide official cover to a terrorism apologist”.
The party in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, noted that this further confirmed “public and international apprehensions that the Buhari administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are patronizing acts of terrorism in our country”.
According to the main opposition party, Nigerians were “traumatized that the Presidency could mount a hopeless defence and justification for the actions of the exposed Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, who had already confessed to supporting terrorist groups like al-Qaida and Taliban”.
The PDP said it is “instructive to note that this anti-people stance has heightened public anxiety that the Buhari Presidency is a haven for traitors who are providing support to acts of terrorist activities in our nation.
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“Our party holds that this has further exposed why the Buhari Presidency has failed to decisively confront terrorism as well as why terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and insurgents are emboldened to ravage our nation and massacre our compatriots.
“It is inexcusable that the Buhari Presidency is showing grave insensitivity to the fact that thousands of Nigerians have been massacred, maimed and horrified; that hundreds of communities have been devastated and that our nation has been under siege because of the actions and public comments by individuals like Isa Pantami.
“Our party notes that if indeed, the Buhari Presidency has not found itself entangled, the least it ought to have done in the face of allegations against Pantami was to reassure Nigerians by first relieving Isa Pantami of his office and hand him over to the appropriate agency for deradicalization.
“The PDP asserts that it is pertinent to point out that Isa Pantami had initially denied his support to terrorist groups and only admitted after he was overwhelmed by evidence; thus rubbishing the lame claims by the Buhari Presidency that the minister had turned a new leaf 20 years ago.
“The PDP holds that Isa Pantami belongs to the deradicalization center and not in any way in the Federal Executive Council where he been alleged of compromising our national security as evinced in his initial denials.
“This is in addition to allegations in the public space that the exposed minister had been compromising our national data as well as the NIN registration exercise, wherein aliens and invaders from other countries were alleged to have been registered as our citizens. These are issues that our party insists must be investigated by the Department of State Services (DSS).”
PDP charged President Buhari to reassure the citizens by immediately withdrawing the statement from his Presidency, relieve Isa Pantami of his position as minister and take a bold step to flush out terrorist apologists from the Presidency.