Politics

You are desperate! – Lai Mohammed counters Atiku

Published

5 years ago

December 20, 2018

The Federal Government has described as ‘ an act of desperation ’ a statement credited to the Peoples Democratic Party’ s presidential candidate , Atiku Abubakar , that “ killings will continue if President Muhammadu Buhari is re – elected . ’’The Minister of Information and Culture , Lai Mohammed , stated the government position at a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

The minister said that Atiku is desperate “ due to his floundering campaign ’’ and admonished the former Vice President to stop bad politicking and politicising killings .

“ It is clear to all Nigerians that the electioneering campaign of the PDP presidential candidate has failed to gain traction .

“ From Sokoto to Ilorin to Ibadan to Gombe , it has been a disastrous outing for the campaign . With that magnitude of failure, anyone can say anything to stay afloat , ’’ he said .

The minister also reacted to the allegation of clampdown on civil society with the re -arrest and detention of Deji Adeyanju

He said : “ There is no clampdown on any civil society , except in the wild imagination of naysayers . As I have said , being in opposition is no licence to break the law and then hope to escape justice .

“ If the Police have re – arrested Adeyanju , they must have a compelling reason to do so. Anyone who breaks the law must face justice . ”

Mohammed said that the alleged fear that the security agencies might be partisan during the 2019 polls was unfounded .

“ The opposition is only crying wolf where there is none , and in view of what they did during their 16 years in power . They never really won a free and fair election . Their strategy was to use the security agencies to thwart the wishes of voters .

“ They did it in Ekiti and Osun in 2014 . I was a victim in Osun, so I know what I am saying . But the guilty are always afraid . They think what they have done to others is what will be done to them , ’’ he said

The minister assured that under President Buhari ’ s watch , no security agency would play such an ignominious role in any election .

( NAN )