COVID-19: PDP Blames FG, APC Over Warri Killing…Stands With Nigerians against Security Brutality

Press Statement

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vehemently condemns the

extra-judicial execution of an innocent Nigerian by the security

operatives in Warri, Delta state, on Thursday.

The PDP also condemns reported brutalization of Nigerians in many parts

of the country by security forces under the guise of enforcing the

lockdown order to check the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in our country.

The PDP insists that such acts of violence against our citizens cannot

be condoned or justified under any guise whatsoever.

The party calls on Nigerians to hold the Buhari Presidency and the APC

responsible for the Warri killing as well as the reported brutalization

of Nigerians, noting that such ugly situations would have been averted

if the APC controlled Federal Government had heeded wise counsel by the

PDP and other well-meaning Nigerians and made adequate provisions for

social palliatives that cushioned the economic challenges of the

lockdown.

The APC government had failed to shelve its political interests and heed

good suggestions to implement calls to cut taxes, reduce fuel price and

use the states and local governments to channel essential commodities to

poor Nigerians whose means of survival comes only from their daily

struggle on the streets and markets.

The APC government has also failed to constitute an Eminent Nigerian

Group to administer the palliatives and eliminate all political and

bureaucratic bottlenecks that are now encumbering easy flow of social

panaceas, leading to poor Nigerians coming out to seek for survival on

the streets.

The PDP further blamed the APC and its administration for emboldening

acts of violence and extra-judicial killings by security operatives

following their failure to bring perpetrators of such acts to book as

even detailed in reports by various reputable international

organizations including Amnesty International (AI), Transparency

International (TI), European Union (EU), United States Department of

State.

This is in addition to APC’s tacit endorsement of President Muhammadu

Buhari’s usual directive to security operatives to “deal ruthlessly

with” sundry offenders. Such statement is capable of being translated as

license for cruelty and abuse of human rights by over-zealous security

operatives.

The PDP invites Nigerians to continue to note how the APC has remained

silent and failed to join in the call for provision of adequate social

palliatives to the citizens as well as in demanding that killers be

brought to book.

Moreover, the APC has not made any meaningful suggestion towards efforts

to check the spread of COVID-19 in our country.

Such anti-people stance by the APC speaks volumes of the standpoint of

the party on issues related to the wellbeing of Nigerians.

The PDP however stands with Nigerians and calls on the Military High

Command to commence an extensive investigation into the Warri killing as

well as other reported brutalization of Nigerians during the COVID-19

pandemic lockdown and bring all the culprits to book.

Furthermore, our party calls on Nigerians to remain calm and not despair

over the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated challenges, noting that

with the concerted effort of all, our nation will soon defeat the

pandemic.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan

National Publicity Secretary