The Peoples Democratic Party has said that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj.Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), is liable for Tuesday’s attack on the convoy of President Goodluck Jonathan in Katsina.
The PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation said it would hold Buhari responsible if anything should happen to Jonathan in the course of the electioneering while PDP spokesperson, Olisa Metuh said the party would no longer tolerate such acts of violence on any of its members
Fani-Kayode, at a press briefing in Abuja, said, “Let us take this opportunity to also serve them (APC) notice that if anything untoward happens to our candidate or his supporters during the course of this campaign we shall hold Buhari and his party responsible and the consequences would be grave, unimaginable and far-reaching.”
Fani-Kayode alleged that a group of broom-wielding vandals, chanting “sai Buhari”, hurled stones at the convoy of the President and that but for the gallant efforts of the security personnel, “this small group of violent vandals would have harmed the President and caused damage to the vehicles in his convoy.”
He said it was regrettable that the stoning occurred in Katsina, the home state of Buhari, and reminded Nigerians that the APC presidential candidate had visited Bayelsa State, where President Jonathan hails from and that while there, Buhari was not molested.
He described the action of the APC supporters in Katsina State as “despicable, barbaric, shameful and highly reprehensible.”
Metuh, in a statement in Abuja, said the attack was “a clear indication that the APC is not ready to dial back on its rabid desire to attain power through violence despite signing a peace pact a week ago in Abuja”.
He said, “This brazen attack on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and our presidential candidate clearly showed that the APC was never committed to the spirit and letters of the Abuja peace accord which they signed in the presence of prominent Nigerians and international personalities.
“It is unfortunate that while the PDP and other parties are busy ensuring that their members and supporters remain committed to a peaceful electioneering, the APC has been hatching plots to unleash violence on our candidates and members.
“We invite Nigerians, friends of Nigeria and all lovers of democracy to rise in condemnation of this dangerous phenomenon. These early developments clearly demonstrate that the comments and declarations by the leaders of the APC that Nigeria would be thrown into chaos and bloodshed should it lose the February general elections were real.”
Metuh commended the maturity and the peaceful disposition of President Jonathan and the leaders of the PDP even in the face of provocation.
He said, “The irony which we wish to place on record is that the APC, which has successfully completed its campaigns in the South-South, including Bayelsa, the home state of President Jonathan, without any incident and has even signed a pact to maintain peace, is turning round to unleash thugs to disrupt the presidential campaign of our party.
“In spite of this, we wish to assure Nigerians of the iron cast resolve of the PDP to ensure peaceful and credible general elections where the votes of the people shall exclusively determine who emerge as leaders in the general elections”
Meanwhile, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, has said his group would respond appropriately to the attack on Jonathan’s convoy in Katsina State.
Dokubo-Asari, in Abuja on Wednesday, said members of his group were putting the world on notice because the Katsina youths chose to attack the President’s convoy as he was leaving a campaign venue.
He said, “There is an established pattern of pre- and post-election violence in the north. In the 50s when late (Chief Obafemi) Awolowo was campaigning in the north, he went with helicopters and he was mocked.
“People said he was flying over the houses and peeping on their wives. That has continued and everywhere in the country, people say leave them alone. We don’t want any trouble. But I think the game has changed. The rules of the game have changed.
“For every action, there will be an opposite and equal reaction. I knew that the signing of the accord was useless and that the President subjected himself to sign such an accord. For me, it was out of place for a President and Commander- in- Chief of the armed forces of a country. But the President is a humble person. He does things that even marvel some of us and make us sometimes to be very angry.”