The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop playing the ostrich and take responsibility for the violence and looting by hoodlums fuelled to discredit the peaceful protest by Nigerians against brutality and extra-judicial killings by unscrupulous security operatives in various parts of the country.
PDP in a statement by it National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, Wednesday discribed as shameful that “instead of owning up and apologizing over its alleged role in the deployment of hoodlums and security operatives to attack and kill peaceful protesters, the Buhari Presidency is rather unleashing its spokespersons, as spin doctors on national television, to politicize the issues, distort facts, threaten Nigerians and point accusing fingers.
The party added that ” the action of the Buhari Presidency in rushing to the media to distort fact and threaten Nigerians, appears to be in desperation to blackmail the various enquiry panels, cow witnesses and scuttle efforts to unravel the truth.
Continuing, the statement read “this further explains the desperation to gag Nigerians on the social media as well as escalated clampdown on broadcast stations in our country.
“The Buhari administration must bear the blame for the evident hijacking of the peaceful protest by armed thugs who were seen on video being conveyed in vehicles belonging to security agencies and openly coordinated to unleash violence on the streets, leading to the crisis situation of maiming, looting, arson and wanton destruction of property in the land.
“Instead of pointing accusing fingers on others, the Buhari Presidency should come clean on who used security vehicles to convey and coordinate thugs as well as who deployed soldiers to Lekki Toll gate in Lagos to attack unarmed and peaceful protesters.
“Our party is alarmed by the on-going clampdown and freezing of bank accounts of some Nigerians for participating in the genuine and peaceful protests against police brutality in various parts of our country.
“It is indeed distressing that the government officials could use the platform of a national television to attempt to justify such gross violation of our constitution, which can only come from an administration that thrives in bullying harmless citizens, entrenching recklessness and promoting corruption in the high place.
“The freezing of accounts of genuine protesters amounts to a deliberate effort to economically asphyxiate these Nigerians and their families, for calling for good governance, respect for the rights of citizens, end to police brutality and manifest slide to lawlessness under the Buhari administration.
“Such action does not engender hope among citizens, especially the youth. Instead, it goes to validate widely held view that government is not ready to listen to the citizens but has already convicted the protesters.
“It is even more disturbing that the government is hounding peaceful protesters while keeping silent on its alleged role in the mobilization of thugs and hoodlums who unleashed violence on Nigerians on the streets.
“Moreover, it is strange to the PDP how the Federal Government can be dissipating energy in harassing unarmed and harmless citizens who merely embarked on civil protest over obvious societal ills while insurgents, marauders and bandits continue to terrorise Nigerians across our country”.
