Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday described Saturday’s assassination attempt on the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, as an invitation to anarchy.
While condemning the attack, the PDP governors also charged the Federal Government to rise up to the occasion by ensuring the protection of lives and property of all Nigerians, irrespective of their social standing in society.
This was contained in a statement titled, ‘Attempt on Governor Ortom, an invitation to anarchy: Enough is enough’, signed by the PDPGF Chairman and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal.
While condemning the act, the PDP governors said, “We wish therefore to warn that any attempt to harm any Nigerian will be viewed by the Forum as an attempt on all of us.
“We believe strongly that any dispute or perceived dispute should be and must be resolved amicably without resorting to violence.
“Nigeria is not a Babana Republic, even though certain retrogressive elements and centrifugal forces are trying to consign Nigeria into a failed state.
“It remains the primary responsibility of the government, especially the Federal Government, who has a monopoly of the coercive forces of state, to secure the lives and livelihoods of our people, however low or high. Every Nigerian deserves equal protection of the laws.
Presidency’s silence, a disturbing issue
However, the PDP has described the silence of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), over Saturday’s gun attack on Ortom as disturbing.
The PDP also accused the APC of plotting to use electoral violence and banditry to disrupt democratic order to pave the way for Nigeria’s disintegration.
The statement read in part, “The silence of the APC and the Buhari Presidency to the violence unleashed by APC thugs, leading to the killing of two innocent Nigerians and a police officer in the Ekiti State bye-election at the weekend and the postponement of the election, only goes to show that the APC is all out to derail our democracy just because they have been rejected by Nigerians.
“Our party holds that such disposition in the face an assassination attempt on a democratically elected governor by bandits as well as killing of innocent Nigerians and a law enforcement officer by suspected APC thugs, amounts to endorsing acts of violence and assault against our democratic order, sovereignty and corporate existence as a nation.”