El-Rufai’s call for foreign mercenaries confirms APC’s failure —PDP

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has noted that the expression of frustration and threats by Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State to invite foreign mercenaries to fight local terrorism is a further confirmation and admission of the failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration. 

In a statement by Debo Ologunagba, its national publicity secretary, PDP insisted that el-Rufai cannot distance himself from those responsible for fuelling and aiding insecurity which it said degenerated to acts of terrorism ravaging the country today. 

The PDP challenged el-Rufai and other APC leaders to speak out on the alleged confession by a former APC leader that the terrorists pillaging that nation were brought in by the party leaders to rig the 2019 general election. 

It, therefore, told Governor el-Rufai that his threat to import foreign mercenaries is counter-productive and capable of compounding the already dire security situation in the country. 

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The PDP expressed its belief in the competence and capability of Nigeria’s Armed Forces to defend the nation, adding that, “they are only being encumbered by manifest complicity, conspiracy, incompetence and failure of the security command and control coordination structure of the APC administration.” 

Also, the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, condemned the threat by el-Rufai, describing it as an ominous sign for the country. 

Afenifere, in a release issued by its national publicity secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, on Sunday, maintained that the vow, coming from el-Rufai, known to be one of the closest allies of President Muhammadu Buhari and a top member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), “calls for serious interrogation and action on the part of all those who should act.” 

Governor el-Rufai had informed State House correspondents of his intention to import foreign mercenaries after a meeting with President Buhari on Friday. 

The sociopolitical group said the fact that el-Rufai disclosed this immediately after his meeting with President Buhari could be an indication that what the governor heard from the president was not reassuring enough. 

“For him to assert that he (and a few of his colleagues) will resort to this option could be a pointer to certain things that had hitherto not been so clear to members of the public,” it added. 

Afenifere, however, said the solution to the problem is not by hiring foreign mercenaries but to put an end to the kid-glove treatment being given to terrorists and, more importantly, give immediate approval to willing state governments to set up police forces. 

The group also expressed worry over the statement credited to the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as it wondered why the government waited for the incidents to happen without taking action to prevent it.