By Daniel Kanu
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday chided President Muhammadu Buhari for labeling Federal Capital Territory (FCT) residents “necessary evil” because they did not vote for him in the February 23 presidential election.
The party noted that giving Nigerians labels for exercising their democratic right is not only unpresidential abut also condemnable.
A statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the president’s comment was inciting, divisive and capable of demonising innocent Nigerians and setting them up for victimisation by overzealous agencies.
“Moreover, President Buhari should note that he was not only rejected by
FCT residents but also by an overwhelming majority of Nigerians across
the states of the federation, who voted massively for the PDP, only for
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to subvert the will
of the people in his favour; consequent upon which our party and
presidential candidate have headed for the retrieval of this stolen
mandate at the tribunal,” the statement further said.
The leading opposition party also criticised President Buhari for stating that “to make FCT secure is to make myself secure and the vice president.”
“The party holds that it is the duty of the president to provide security
for all parts of the country, irrespective of where he and the vice
president reside or how Nigerians cast their votes.
“The PDP maintains that the security of lives of all Nigerians, ought to
have been paramount to the president and not determined by inessential
factors, if indeed he has the interest of the people at heart.”
The party, therefore, called on the president to apologise for the comment while urging “Nigerians to continue in their determination to retrieve the stolen Presidential mandate at the tribunal, so as to have
an administration that truly cares for the citizens, in line with the
provisions of our laws.”