… insists the President still I charge
By Haruna Salami
APC Caucus (Senate) has rejected and dissociated itself from all and any “inflammatory statements” that appear to threaten the authority of President Buhari and their party.
Apparently responding to the PDP Caucus Press Statement read by the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinaya Abaribe, Tuesday, the APC Caucus said Wednesday “we accordingly, wish to remind them that blame game and threats of “constitutional measures” are unwelcome and will not help in any form to address the challenges the nation currently faces.
“We in the APC Caucus totally reject the many incorrect statement contained in the said press release. Indeed, we are quite aware of the role of the opposition in any democracy. However, the statement by the PDP Caucus has gone too far given the good working relationship in the 9th Assembly and especially with the Minority Caucus.
While acknowledging the rights to present criticisms and concerns on the state of the nation’s affairs as unassailable, APC said such rights; which come with obligation and responsibility, “we are concerned that the statement issued by the Minority Cuscus is capable of over- heating an already charged polity in which men of good conscience and patriotism are expected to act as leaders and Statesmen.
“While we acknowledge the natural disposition of playing politics, we are worried and disturbed that our colleagues are playing with lives. The unfortunate state of insecurity; for which the Senate has continuously debated and issued resolutions to support the actions of the executive under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari in the overriding interest of the public, is too delicate to play with.
“In all our deliberations, the entire Senate including the minority had discussed exhaustively in a very robust, transparent and patriotic flavor to arrive at our concrete resolutions. A case in point is the current invitation to engage the service chiefs.
The APC Caucus “takes exception to the unfortunate charge that our President has not been seen. This is false and cheap politics. Mr. President and service – chiefs are meticulously busy every day and every night in deliberations with a view to addressing the security challenges across the entire country.
“Mr. President had always made statement to Nigerians on all major security incidences and assuring Nigerians and indeed the international community that he would continue to do his best in making sure that the security challenges are tackled head-on.
“We want to assure Nigerians that Mr. President is in charge of government and is discharging his duties conscientiously and patriotically. It is a well-known fact that the Federal Government under the PDP refused to invest in the security infrastructure of the country while Mr. President under the APC led Government had massively invested in this regard more than any past governments and we are confident that the nation will surmount its current security challenges.
Speaking with journalists after the Caucus meeting, Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi Senate Leader said “it must be noted that the global economy is in turmoil triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and Nigeria’s is not an exception. The Federal Government is aware of the challenges and is working to massively get the economy working for Nigerians through agricultural intervention projects, infrastructure development projects and social interventions to reduce the pains of the economic downturn on ordinary Nigerians.
“We therefore call on our distinguished colleagues and indeed all Nigerians to join hands with us as we proffer solutions to this hydra-headed security challenges. In doing so, we want to assure Nigerians, and the international community that the rule of law will be respected and the rights to political opposition guaranteed. We ask for support and continuous constructive criticisms as envisaged by the tenets of our participatory democracy.
The APC Caucus “strongly and unreservedly supports the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari” as we continue to work in addressing the economic, health, social, security and other challenges that beset our nation. We sincerely seek the continuous support and understanding of all Nigerians in this regard.
