The leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to stop issuing threats but to match his words with actions and lead a decisive fight against insecurity from the front.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said that the best thing for the President to do is to be true to his electioneering campaign promises and stop “lip talk” so that “Nigerians can sleep with their two eyes closed.”
Since the President’s reelection in 2019, the insecurity in the country has worsened with many parts of the North-East under attack by the Boko Haram terrorists.
Others zones, which were hitherto peaceful, have been witnessing kidnapping and killings by herdsmen and bandits.
Also, there have been increased agitations by separatist groups in the South-West and South-East. Because of the breakdown of law and order, many offices of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the South-East have been burnt by hoodlums.
According to the PDP Spokesperson, “the expectation of Nigerians is that Mr. President should lead the battle against insecurity from the front like he promised during his electioneering.
“But the inactions of Mr President today are responsible for the deluge of insecurity that has affected our nation.
“The expectation of Nigerians furthermore, is that these challenges should not be limited to the issues of lip talk; rather, they should be confronted so that Nigerians can sleep with their two eyes closed.”
Ologbondiyan said that as Nigeria approaches the 2023 elections, “the least Nigerians expect from the President for INEC to function optimally, is for him to revisit the Electoral Act amendment which he refused to assent to.
“He should dust it up and return it to the National Assembly if there are further amendments they should be included. Let them work on it and return it to him to sign into law so that our elections will be better.
President Buhari had on Tuesday warned that people behind security problems in the country, saying he would soon be hard on them.
Buhari also said secessionists were too young to know loss of lives and other tragedies that attended the Nigerian civil war of 1967 to 1970.
Buhari said these at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after being briefed by the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, on series of attacks on facilities of the electoral body across the country.