Pantami: Presidency Has Confirmed Public Suspicion – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated the Presidency for supporting the embattled Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, who has been in the news over sympathy for terrorists ideology.

In a statement on Friday, the PDP said that the statement by the Presidency, defending Pantami, has confirmed public and international apprehensions that the Buhari administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are patronizing acts of terrorism in the country.

This is even as the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) said that President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government’s war against terrorism is a joke and political propaganda with Pantami still in office.

The PDP said that Nigerians were traumatized that the Presidency could mount a hopeless defence and justification for Pantami, who had already confessed to supporting terrorist groups like al-Qaida and Taliban.

PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan said, “It is instructive to note that this anti-people stance has heightened public anxiety that the Buhari 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 Buhari 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 Buhari 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 Isa Pantami.

“Our party notes that if indeed, the Buhari Presidency has not found itself entangled, the least it ought to have done in the face of allegations against Pantami was to reassure Nigerians by first relieving Isa Pantami of his office and hand him over to the appropriate agency for deradicalization.”

The PDP asserted that it is pertinent to point out that Pantami had initially denied his support to terrorist groups and only admitted after he was overwhelmed by evidence; thus rubbishing the lame claims by the Buhari Presidency that the minister had turned a new leaf 20 years ago.

The PDP, has however, charged President Buhari to reassure the citizens by immediately withdrawing the statement from his Presidency, relieve Pantami of his position as minister and take a bold step to flush out terrorist apologists from the Presidency.

In the same vein, CUPP, in a statement by its spokesman, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, said that a government that cannot sack a minister who has been exposed as an international terrorism sympathizer is a pro-terrorism regime.

“Are you sure the man has not handed over our sensitive bank data, Sim Card and National identification records to all the terrorist networks in the world?

“The refusal to sack him means the government likes people like him and the agenda he was pushing is what the government would have loved or really loves. Why claim to be fighting terrorism while in bed with those who promote terrorist agenda,” the CUPP said.

The coalition called for the sack and arrest of Pantami, until it is ascertained that the nation’s national security is not compromised and that the nation’s national ID card and banking records are secured.