Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the position of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on the crackdown on Boko Haram and Ansaru by the Federal Government as a national embarrassment.
The ACN, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, criticised the Federal Government for proscribing Boko Haram and Ansaru, saying the action of the government breaches provisions of the Constitution.
But the Ondo State chapter of the PDP said with the ACN position, the party (ACN) is a supporter of the activities of the two sects.
Director of Publicity of the state PDP, Mr Ayo Fadaka, expressed disappointment with Mohammed’s utterances.
He said: “We, hereby, place on record our total disappointment over the brand of politics the ACN continues to play in regards to Federal Government’s actions and policies to rid the nation of terrorist activities mainly prosecuted by Boko Haram and its other roguish accomplices in their determined march to make the nation ungovernable and impose strife and mayhem on the citizenry.”
Fadaka said the activities of terrorist groups represent a grave challenge to the corporate existence of the nation and its only goal is to systematically pursue a programme that would have completely lead to its disintegration.
He said in tackling this development, President Goodluck Jonathan has explored all available avenue to make Boko Haram and its accomplices to embrace peace and even conditionally disarm its membership and this was rebuffed continuously.
According to him, it was when it became almost impossible to call them to order that the Federal Government finally declared a State of Emergency in the prime theatres of their action.
Fadaka wondered why ACN was the only party that condemned the action of the government as if the programme of these anti-system groups is synonymous with its goals.
“Again, the ACN has pushed further its frontiers of clandestine support for these groups by needlessly criticizing the Federal Government gazette of the ban of these agencies saying it will infringe on the liberty of people. We wonder if there are elements in that party that are accomplices of Boko Haram.
“Therefore, we call on the people of the South-West to take due cognizance of the activities of the party and be circumspect in appreciating same. There are ominous signs that there are more than meet the eyes in its style and operations.
“In the South-West, we take pride in our tolerance level and ability to accommodate our diverse feelings but if feelers from Osun State is anything to go by today, religious sentimentalism is being promoted by the ACN government of Rauf Aregbesola and this is sad and absolutely reprehensible.
“In playing politics, we expect that issues that promote the development and health of the nation must dictate the views of political parties and not sectarian and parochial issues that will certainly do more damages than ordinarily anticipated.
“Parties thrive today because there is a nation where peace and orderliness reign and that must be a goal of every citizen to preserve. We restate that anyone who is conscious of all the evils perpetrated on citizens and corporate organizations in this country by Boko Haram and its accomplices and continues to seek to express support for these organisations in whatever manner is anything but patriotic.”
