National convention, Kaduna airport invasion: ‘Our country has never had it this bad’– PDP slams APC

Main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the just-ended National Convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as ‘a jamboree,’ as the party called it a ‘convention of lies, celebration of illegality, corruption and arrogance in failure,’ adding further that any leadership produced through such process ‘can only be overtly corrupt, debauch and illegal.’

Reacting to the consensus emergence of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the APC’s new National Chairman, the PDP derided the party over ‘the imposition of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, a man who was arraigned in Court on 149-count charge of alleged fraudulent award of contracts and stealing of public funds estimated at N15 billion, as its National Chairman.’

The PDP, in two separate statements issued, Sunday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, also took a swipe at the Federal Government over last Saturday’s invasion of the Kaduna International Airport by terrorists, an incident the party described as ‘a clear confirmation that our nation’s security, command and control structure under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has completely collapsed.’

“The composition of the APC national leadership is a clear confirmation that President Buhari has never been committed to the fight against corruption as well as his willingness to further open our national vaults to ravenous treasury looters in the APC.

“The PDP challenges members of the illegitimate APC national leadership, particularly Sen. Adamu to come clean on corruption charges against them.

“The new APC Chairman should inform Nigerians why he was not courageous enough to submit himself to trial at the Federal High Court, Lafia, Nasarawa State rather than hide under technicalities. Senator Adamu should therefore come clean to Nigerians on the said case before parading himself as a saint.

It is therefore pathetic to see Sen. Adamu showboating on stage to impress his puppet master by attempting to denigrate other Nigerians and our great Party, the PDP.

“Our Party has only pity for Sen. Adamu and does not intend to confer him an undue relevance with a response. Sen. Adamu should however be conscious of the fact that time does not run against the State in criminal matters. He should therefore not have any illusion that being an APC Chairman will avail him a perpetual cover.

“Moreover, it was appalling to see APC leaders come out one after the other at their national jamboree to spew out lies and false performance claims on the economy, infrastructure and security even in the face of biting economic hardship, high cost of living, excruciating fuel emergency, lingering crisis in the education sector and escalated insecurity that was happening real time and simultaneously when the ridiculous claims of achievement were being made.

“Is it not shameful that while APC leaders were lying on stage in Abuja, terrorists were busy attacking the Kaduna International Airport, located in an APC controlled state?

On the invasion of the Kaduna airport, the PDP said the incident ‘has further heightened security concerns that nowhere is safe in the country under the APC.’

“The refusal and failure of President Buhari and the APC to take action on the airport attack but continued to jamboree in Abuja in the name of a National Convention reveal and confirm that the Buhari administration has conceded sovereignty over parts of our country to terrorists.

“President Buhari’s nonchalant disposition to this grave security challenge indicates that his administration is unable, unwilling and or complicit in this particular attack as well as various other acts of terrorism in our country.

“It is indefensibly suspicious that while an international airport in our country was under attack by over 200 terrorists with many Nigerians being held hostage and traumatized, President Buhari and the APC continued in their carnival in Abuja without acknowledging or expressing concern. Is this not a case of “Buhari fiddles while Nigeria burns?”

“The APC government has failed, become numb to violence against our citizens and can no longer perform its primary duty under Section 14 (2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which provides that “security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”.

“President Buhari’s failure to address the Kaduna Airport attack is consistent with his characteristic abdication of duty at critical times. Nigerians can recall how in January this year, Mr. President cancelled his scheduled visit to Zamfara State, a state that is daily traumatized by terrorists.

“By that action, Mr. President allowed shared sovereignty with terrorists over a part of the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This acquiesce emboldened the terrorists to now expand their control to the international airport in Kaduna ostensibly with the possibility of using it to import arms and ammunition as well as coordinate terrorist activities in our country.

“Under President Buhari terrorists have established sovereignty in substantial parts of the country especially in the North West and North East regions, where terrorists execute laws and impose penalties, collect taxes, control commercial and transportation activities and now scaringly take control of an international airport with grave negative consequences to our national image in the world.

“Our country has never had it this bad with such a weak, uncoordinated and clueless President with an inhumane, visionless and propaganda-driven political party like the APC.

“Nigerians should therefore rally round the PDP in our mission to rescue our nation from the precipice and restore the unity and security of her people,” the main opposition said.