General Muhammadu Buhari has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of being determined to push Nigeria into anarchy in the shortest possible time.
Vanguard reports that the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, made the assertion on Tuesday in a reaction to the recent invasion of the APC Data Centre in Lagos by security operatives.
Gen. Mahammadu Buhari at a rally
Buhari, while condemning the invasion of the party’s data centre alleged that the desperation of the PDP grows by the hour. He also alleged that there was a calculated attempt by the Jonathan-led administration to level the opposition and accused him of abusing his of powers.
“Almost everyday, the Jonathan presidency seems intent on demonstrating for all to see that they have mastered the art of how to push a nation into chaos within the shortest time possible. The early morning attack by security operatives on the APC data centre in Lagos on Saturday, November 22 is one such display in a growing chain of abuse and violation of the constitution and political rights of the people. It is a reckless act that must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” he said.
According to Buhari, Jonathan’s administration cannot claim ignorance about the incident, adding that the security operatives that conducted the illegal raid must have been ordered from Abuja. He said they would not have done what they did unless given the mandate from their high authority at the headquarter.
“Attempting to defend the indefensible, they fabricate a story that the attack was necessary because criminal activity was taking place at the centre. These statements are such plain lies. These acts are but a foretaste of things to come. From these attacks, this government is signalling to the Nigerian people they have no intention of holding anything resembling free and fair elections. Their goal is not to create a level electoral playing field. Their goal is to level the opposition into the dust through the abuse of federal power,” Buhari said.
In a similar development, the party’s leadership in a reaction likened Thursday’s police invasion of the National Assembly to a coup, and called for an independent probe into the incident to ascertain who gave such order and for what purpose.
APC in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed explained that such inquiry would help to curb a repeat of such incident as well as mapping out necessary punishment to those behind it.
The party said using teargas to attack an arm of government and depriving it from carrying out its lawful duties are tantamount to a coup, adding that the tear gas that was fired into the National Assembly by an invading policemen is a chemical weapon.
“We are demanding the independent inquiry in view of the seriousness of the armed attack on the National Assembly and the danger it poses to our democracy. We are also alerting the international community to the happenings in Nigeria and urging them to show interest because of their investment in the country’s democracy,” the party said.
APC which further stated that the Presidency cannot deny its involvement in the invasion said: “senseless attack is not enough to stop the finger-pointing at it (Presidency), especially because no one, not even the Inspector General of Police, will have the temerity to stop the nation’s number four citizen from entering the National Assembly without an express order from the President. This is why we have continuously held the President responsible for last week’s show of shame, noting that the IG is just a tool in the hands of a President that has perhaps done more than any other President before him to truncate the nation’s democracy,” the party said.
It would be recalled that Nigeria’s former head of state General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) also reportedly took a swipe at the Nigerian police force over the invasion of the National Assembly.
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