The All Progressives Congress Caucus of the National Assembly (Senate), on Wednesday, warned that no one has the right to threaten the President, and that the PDP cannot blame President Muhammadu Buhari for the insecurity it created due to its 16 years of failure while on power.
The warning was made by the APC Senate Leader, Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi, in response statement by Minority Caucus of the National Assembly who threaten to use constitutional means to remove the President in order to save the country from collapse.
Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP), who spoke on behalf of the Minority Caucus comprising opposition lawmakers in both chambers of Parliament, addressed newsmen on Tuesday.
Abaribe accused the APC led administration of indifference to the insecurity across the country, mismanagement of the economy and deliberate witch hunt of critical voices in the opposition parties.
However, it it's response, Senate Leader, Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi (APC), said President Buhari was on top of the security challenge.
He said, “We in the APC Caucus totally reject the many incorrect statement contained in the said press release. Indeed, we are quite aware of the role of the opposition in any democracy. However, the statement by the PDP Caucus has gone too far given the good working relationship in the 9th Assembly and especially with the Minority Caucus.
“In any democracy, the rights to present criticisms and concerns on the state of the nation’s affairs are unassailable. However, while we respect such rights; which come with obligation and responsibility, we are concerned that the statement issued by the Minority Cuscus is capable of over- heating an already charged polity in which men of good conscience and patriotism are expected to act as leaders and Statesmen.
“While we acknowledge the natural disposition of playing politics, we are worried and disturbed that our colleagues are playing with lives. The unfortunate state of insecurity; for which the Senate has continuously debated and issued resolutions to support the actions of the executive under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari in the overriding interest of the public, is too delicate to play with.
"In all our deliberations, the entire Senate including the minority had discussed exhaustively in a very robust, transparent and patriotic flavor to arrive at our concrete resolutions. A case in point is the current invitation to engage the service chiefs.
“Furthermore, we take exception to the unfortunate charge that our President has not been seen. This is false and cheap politics. Mr President and service – chiefs are meticulously busy every day and every night in deliberations with a view to addressing the security challenges across the entire country.
"Similarly, Mr President had always made statement to Nigerians on all major security incidences and assuring Nigerians and indeed the international community that he would continue to do his best in making sure that the security challenges are tackled head-on.
“We want to assure Nigerians that Mr President is in charge of government and is discharging his duties conscientiously and patriotically. It is a well-known fact that the Federal Government under the PDP refused to invest in the security infrastructure of the country while Mr. President under the APC led Government had massively invested in this regard more than any past governments and we are confident that the nation will surmount its current security challenges.
“Furthermore, it must be noted that the global economy is in turmoil triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and Nigeria’s is not an exception. The Federal Government is aware of the challenges and is working to massively get the economy working for Nigerians through agricultural intervention projects, infrastructure development projects and social interventions to reduce the pains of the economic downturn on ordinary Nigerians.
“We therefore call on our distinguished colleagues and indeed all Nigerians to join hands with us as we proffer solutions to this hydra-headed security challenges. In doing so, we want to assure Nigerians, and the international community that the rule of law will be respected and the rights to political opposition guaranteed. We ask for support and continuous constructive criticisms as envisaged by the tenets of our participatory democracy.
“We reject and dissociate ourselves from all and any inflammatory statements that appear to threaten the authority of Mr President and our party. We accordingly, wish to remind them that blame game and threats of “constitutional measures” are unwelcome and will not help in any form to address the challenges the nation currently faces.
“Finally, the APC Caucus strongly and unreservedly supports the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as we continue to work in addressing the economic, health, social, security and other challenges that beset our nation. We sincerely seek the continuous support and understanding of all Nigerians in this regard."