The Peoples Democratic Party has faulted the defence given
by the regime of the President, Muhammadu Buhari against
calls for the resignation or sacking of the Minister of Communication and
Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, over pro-terrorist comments he made in the past.
The regime through the
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, threw its
weight behind Pantami, thereby disregarding the calls for the Minister’s
removal from office.
According to the regime, the embattled Minister was young
when he made the comments, adding that his position has since changed.
However, the PDP in a statement issued by the National
Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the regime’s statement which
“shows a desperation to provide official cover to a terrorism apologist further
confirms public and international apprehensions that the Buhari administration
and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are patronising acts of terrorism in
our country.”
According to the 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-Qaeda and Taliban.
“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.
“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 centre and not in any way in the Federal Executive Council
where he’s 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).
“As a party, the PDP charges President Muhammadu 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.”
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