16th July, 2019
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on security to address insecurity in the country.
The PDP National Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, made the appeal at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja while reacting to the open letter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Secondus said that the advice was necessary because of the increasing cases of killing and kidnapping across the country.
He recalled the killing of the then female international aid worker and the recent killing of Mrs Funke Olakunri, daughter of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere.
Secondus said that the worsening security situation between April and now has made concerned patriotic leaders to voice out their concerns.
These leaders, according to him, include Obasanjo; the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan; Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka; and former governor of old Kaduna State, Malam Balarabe Musa, among others.
Secondus described Obasanjo’s letter as a truth that could not be run away from if the insecurity situation must be addressed.
“Former President Obasanjo in a timely tirade to the President on Monday raised all the issues and properly situated the security position in the country.
“He went further to highlight the implications of the current state of the nation and where we are headed if urgent steps are not taken.
“As National Chairman of the main opposition party, I cannot agree less with the former President.
“I cannot agree less with him where he said among other things that …”The main issue, if I may dare say, is poor management or mismanagement of diversity which, on the other hand, is one of our greatest and most important assets.”
Secondus said that the PDP whole-heartedly associates itself with the position of the patriotic Nigerians.
“The PDP urges President Buhari to respond appropriately to their timely advisory by declaring state of emergency on security in the country and go further urgently to address the issues raised in Obasanjo’s letter.
Secondus said that the killing of Mrs Olakunrin was the height of murdering innocent Nigerians across the land.
“It certainly cannot be well for a nation that creates an ugly situation where a 94-year-old Nationalist would be burying his 58-year-old daughter.
“This certainly is not Nigeria of our dream.”
Secondus also urged Nigerians not to underplay or trivialise the issues.