Nigeria’s major opposition party, The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has berated the APC-led Federal Government for defending the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami over his rumored links to terrorist organizations, Njenje Media News reports.
According to PDP, the Buhari-led Presidency confirmed its sympathy for terrorism by defending Pantami.
Njenje Media News recalls that Pantami had in the past few weeks been accused of being sympathetic to terrorist sects like Al-Qaeda and Taliban with an audio and video sermon released to the public to that effect.
Pantami had initially denied having any link whatsoever to the listed terrorist organization but when confronted with audio and video evidence of his speech 20 years ago, admitted making some sympathetic remarks towards them, claiming he has since renounced those beliefs.
The development had irked Nigerians who called for Pantami’s sack and prosecution with various social media hashtags to that effect.
The Presidency in its official reaction to the issue, threw its weight behind Pantami, while further positing that Nigerians were being unnecessarily harsh on Pnatanmi and other of Buhari’s appointees.
Reacting to this, PDP said the Presidency has exposed its desperation to cover up those sympathetic to terrorism in the current administration.
In a series of tweets via its verified Twitter handle, on Friday the PDP wrote:
“The statement by the @MBuhari Presidency, in which it shows desperation to provide official cover to a terrorism apologist further confirms public and international apprehensions that the @MBuhari administration and the @OfficialAPCNg are patronizing acts of terrorism in our country.
“Nigerians were traumatized that the Presidency could mount a hopeless defense and justification for the actions of the exposed Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, @DrIsaPantami, who had already confessed to supporting terrorist groups like al-Qaida and Taliban.
“It is instructive to note that this anti-people stance has heightened public anxiety that the @MBuhari Presidency is a haven for traitors who are providing support to acts of terrorist activities in our nation.
“Our party holds that this has further exposed why the @MBuhari Presidency has failed to decisively confront terrorism as well as why terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and insurgents are emboldened to ravage our nation and massacre our compatriots.
“It is inexcusable that the @MBuhari Presidency is showing grave insensitivity to the fact that thousands of Nigerians have been massacred, maimed, and horrified; that hundreds of communities have been devastated, and that our nation has been under siege because of the actions and public comments by individuals like @DrIsaPantami.
“Our party notes that if indeed, the @MBuhari Presidency has not found itself entangled, the least it ought to have done in the face of allegations against @DrIsaPantami was to reassure Nigerians by first relieving Isa Pantami of his office and hand him over to the appropriate agency for deradicalization.
“The @OfficialPDPNig asserts that it is pertinent to point out that @DrIsaPantami had initially denied his support to terrorist groups and only admitted after he was overwhelmed by evidence; thus rubbishing the lame claims by the @MBuhari Presidency that the minister had turned a new leaf 20 years ago.
“The @OfficialPDPNig holds that @DrIsaPantami belongs to the deradicalization center and not in any way in the Federal Executive Council where he has been alleged of compromising our national security as evidenced in his initial denials.”
