By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the sack of the Muslim Cleric, Sheikh Muhammad Nuru Khalid, for speaking on the failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government to defend Nigerians from terrorists, saying that the twist is a time bomb, a precursor to facisism and capable to trigger civil unrest.
The PDP in a statement on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Olugunagba said that although the party refrains from delving into religious issues, it accused the ruling APC’ of dictatorship, suppression of the concerns of citizens and resorting to fascist measures where constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression is being brazenly assaulted. The party pointed out that such dictatorial move is capable of triggering widespread social restiveness and escalating the already tensed situation in the country.
“This APC’s recourse to an onslaught on the voice of citizens as witnessed in the clampdown on religious leaders, the opposition, the civil society and the media indicates an unacceptable descent to tyranny and imposition of a siege mentality to suppress dissenting voices in the face of APC’s manifest failure.
“It is often said that when propaganda, falsehood and lies have been promoted, elevated and institutionalized by a government (like the APC has done) every truth by the citizens is viewed as a rebellion, which the government feels obliged to crush by all means.
“This” PDP said “is the character of fascism which is gradually and steadily creeping into our country under the APC and now deoxygenating our citizen’s exercise of their freedom of expression as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)”.
The main opposition party stressed that the sack of Sheikh Khalid is reminiscent of the days of the obnoxious Military Decree 4 of 1984, under General Muhammadu Buhari, as Head of State, when telling the truth was categorized as a crime pointing out that those days are scaringly creeping back!
PDP argued that Sheikh Khalid, in his sermon clearly expressed the frustration and concerns of millions of Nigerians across the country irrespective of religious, ethnic and political leanings.
“Is Sheikh Khalid not stating the facts when he stated that “everything is not working well. People are dying; our roads are not secured. Most of the part of the country is not secured”, that the APC is more concerned with 2023 elections than the welfare and security of Nigerians?” the party questioned.
According to PDP, the Sheikh Khalid wondered like every other Nigerian that if terrorists can gather and dispatch intelligence information as if they are a government of their own and use same to massacre and abduct Nigerians, how come the APC government cannot gather and share intelligence information to stop the carnage by terrorists?
The party explained that what Nigerians expected from the APC administration, is to take decisive action against terrorism and worsening insecurity in the country.
“The APC must know that we are in a democracy and that this country belongs to all Nigerians; that Nigerians are not a conquered people who have no voice or aspiration; and that history is replete with the fact that no individual or group of individuals had ever subdued or conquered Nigerians at any time” PDP stated.
