Following the today’s official declaration by President Goodluck Jonathan to run for re-election in 2015, the All Progressives Congress (APC) reacted to the move describing it as insensitive. The criticism partially comes over the fact that Jonathan’s announcement was made just a day after Yobe bombing, which claimed nearly 50 lives of students. Premium Times published the party’s statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed, in which the president was accused of “celebrating” the national tragedy. According to the APC, in the situation when 3 states are under the state of emergency and over 650,000 Nigerians are displaced, Jonathan “says he puts Nigerians first”. However the opposition party insisted that “for President Jonathan, it is Jonathan first, Jonathan second, Jonathan third, Jonathan always!” The party accused GEJ of lacking sympathy to the families of those suffering from insurgency in the country recalling several tragic incidents, which have occurred this year. READ ALSO: Jonathan Hasn’t Done Enough For Nigerians To Vote For Him – Buhari Declares “When about 60 students were killed in the terror attack on the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, in February 2014, President Jonathan never visited the scene to commiserate with the families of the victims. When over 80 people were killed in the first Nyanya bombing in April 2014, President Jonathan went dancing ‘Azonto’ in Kano less than 48 hours later. And when almost 300 girls were freshly abducted in Chibok, President Jonathan neither acted fast enough to rescue the girls nor visited the village. His Administration even denied anyone was abducted, until 19 days after!” Jonathan cares only about his political advancement and neglects the welfare of the country residents, the APC said. “This president has therefore established a pattern of putting his political interest above the security and welfare of Nigerians who voted him into office. This president has trampled upon the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which makes the security and welfare of the citizenry the raison d’etre of the government’s existence. It is time for Nigerians to respond in kind by trampling on his political ambition and sending him back to Otuoke.” READ ALSO: Boko Haram: Sack Your ‘War Team’ – Okotie Advises Jonathan The party shamed the President for even asking Nigerians to vote for him, when he has just wasted the mandate given to him in the first instance. The opposition also identified the inability of his administration to enable security in the country as the major failure. “This is undoubtedly President Jonathan’s biggest and most fundamental failure. At times it goes beyond incompetence to perhaps even collusion, or how else does one explain that the rate and intensity of attacks have increased in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe since they were placed under a state of emergency last year? How does one explain that more lives are being lost to the insurgency at a rate that is directly proportional to the increase in spending on defence and security?” To prove the point, the APC recalled the budget on security starting from the year 2010, after which they concluded that despite all the claims made by Jonathan and his government about the achievements of the military, Boko Haram has become “more daring”. READ ALSO: Why Boko Haram Hold Women And Children “Instead of asking Nigerians to vote for him again, President Jonathan should be apologizing to Nigerians for wasting their mandate and explaining why, since his administration has increased security spending; declared and renewed emergency rule, issued propaganda claiming the capture and killing of Boko Haram members (including the leader Abubakar Shekau), destruction of Boko Haram camps, and countless assurances of improving security and winning the battle against Boko Haram, the empirical realities over the same period are that Boko Haram has become more daring and audacious in its attacks.” In conclusion of the statement the APC expressed confidence that people who attended Jonathan’s declaration at the Eagles Square came there to celebrate his “imminent departure from office on the strength of their votes. While saying publicly that they will support you, there is no doubt that they are saying to themselves: Never Again!”
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 19:59:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015