The Peoples Democratic Party has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to protect Nigerians at home, on the streets, and in their workplaces.
The briefing took place at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, where the Turaki-led National Working Committee has been meeting since the Nigerian Police Force sealed the PDP national secretariat in November amid a supremacy battle between two opposition camps within the party.
Addressing reporters, Turaki criticised the government’s security record and called for a review of strategies to make the nation safer.
We believe the situation in this country is such that Nigerians are not safe on the streets. Nigerians are not safe in their places of work — be it in offices, on farms, or in markets. Nigerians are also not safe in their homes.
“The situation where every citizen lives in perpetual fear, walks in perpetual fear, and conducts business in perpetual fear is something that must change,” he said.
The former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs also criticised the Federal Government for failing to meet the basic expectations of an elected administration.
With the spate of kidnappings and killings occurring across the country, the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government has really not lived up to the expectations of Nigerians.
“We therefore call on the Federal Government to brace up and, most importantly, consider a review of the country’s security architecture.
“We in the PDP believe that a situation where governors are called chief security officers of their respective states, yet have no control over the operational activities of the military and security personnel in their states, is something that needs to be overhauled,” he said.
On preparations for the Osun State governorship election, Turaki said the NWC was satisfied with developments so far.
This afternoon, we reviewed, confirmed, and approved the congresses held in Osun State to select ad-hoc delegates. We have also reviewed and confirmed the processes of the ongoing gubernatorial primary election, and we are satisfied with the reports from the field.
“Everything is being conducted in an orderly, transparent, fair, and rancour-free manner. That is vintage PDP,” he said.
Regarding litigation involving the party, Turaki added, “We have reviewed some of the cases filed against us, and those we have filed — particularly the one relating to the unlawful closure of our offices, the Legacy House and Wadata Plaza. The brief from our lawyers indicates we are on sound ground, and very soon, the law will take its course.”
Turaki said the new NWC was scrutinising handover notes from the previous leadership to ensure continuity.
“We have also begun examining the handover notes that the outgoing executives provided. We will be painstaking in our consideration of those notes to ensure there is no gap whatsoever in continuing the good work of the outgoing National Working Committee. For us in the PDP, it is a long continuum, so there will be no gap,” he said.
On the fate of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, and nine others expelled by the PDP national convention in Ibadan, Turaki confirmed that certificates of expulsion had been dispatched to them.
“We have considered the issue of members expelled by the national convention in Ibadan. Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, so we sought to make it straightforward for them. Now that they are no longer PDP members, and the national convention — the highest decision-making organ of our party — has expelled them, we have issued certificates of expulsion. These certificates have been dispatched via courier to the 11 expelled persons,” he said, displaying the certificates.
He urged INEC, the Nigerian Police, and other security agencies to note that the affected persons are no longer PDP members.
On Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s status within the party, Turaki emphasised that changing political platforms is a constitutional right.
“If he decides, either in person or via a representative at the primary, that he has withdrawn or refused to participate, that will form part of the report we receive. As far as we are concerned, even if what we saw on social media is true, Governor Adeleke, like any Nigerian, has the constitutional right to freedom of association. He is free to move on and join any political party,” he said.
