Blame APC’s imported mercenaries for ‘threat’ to May 29 inauguration, PDP tells Army

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told the  military to blame political mercenaries imported by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the alleged threat to scuttle the May 29  inauguration.

PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, advised the Army and other  security agencies to track down those political mercenaries and thugs smuggled into the country by the APC during the electioneering.

The party urged security agencies to compel APC to disclose the identity and whereabouts of the merce naries and their traffickers.

This, PDP added, would enable security agencies to urgently flush the mercenaries out and shield the nation and democracy from further security threats.

“Nigerians can recall that the PDP had raised the alarm when the APC, seeing that it cannot win in a free, fair and credible election, compromised our territorial borders to bring in political mercenaries from other countries to participate in their campaign rallies, as well as assist them in perpetuating violence.

“Nigerians can also recall how APC agents unbridled violence on voters in Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Kogi, Taraba, Adamawa and other states of the federation to muscle votes for its candidates, particularly in the presidential election; and how the APC leadership stood in staunch defence of the compromising of our territorial borders as well as the violence that characterized the elections.

“This was in addition to apprehensions of possible plots by the APC to use the thugs to cause confusion and derail our democratic process, should they fail to rig the elections,” the PDP alleges.
It noted that the APC had not been able to state the whereabouts of these thugs after the elections.

According to the party, this has raised fears that the mercenaries had filtered deeper into national territory and population, which it blamed for the escalation of banditry and associated acts of violence in parts of the country.
It restated the call for an investigation into the alleged link between the APC and the security situation in the country.

“This is particularly as the APC is now overweighed by public disapproval and opprobrium for rigging the election; and being faced with huge legitimacy challenges ahead, can resort to all manner of shenanigans just to divert public attention from its odious status,” PDP further observed.
The party stated its commitment to the unity, stability and sovereignty of Nigeria as well as the deepening of her democratic process.

The Nigerian Army had, on Saturday, alleged that some unpatriotic elements, in collusion with their foreign collaborators, are planning to derail the swearing-in of newly elected government on May 29 in order to scuttle the nation’s democratic process.

“Some of these mischievous elements thought that we would not have a safe and successful general election, but were proved wrong, hence they want to derail the scheduled handing over later this month and to scuttle the democratic process in the country,” army spokesman, Col. Sagir Musa, said in a statement.

Musa alleged that the unpatriotic elements plan to do that by causing mischief and exacerbate security situation in the country in particular and West African Sub-region.

He further alleged that the group is making concerted efforts to further induce ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists and bandits with funds and other logistic supports.

“Their body language and unguarded utterances seem to be in tandem with above and imply tacit support for the criminals.

“For example, credible source has shown that some individuals are hobnobbing with Boko Haram terrorists, while others are deliberately churning falsehood against the security agencies with a view to set the military against the people and the government.

“They are also demoralising troops and security agencies through false accusations and fake news.”