The
APC Presidential Campaign Organization (APCPCO) has raised the alarm
about reports of a fake Abubakar Shekau (Boko Haram leader) that will be
presented before Nigerians by the federal government in order to claim
glory for winning the war on terrorism.
In a statement issued by
the Director of Media and Publicity of the APCOPC signed by Malam Garba
Shehu, APC campaign organisation wondered where the ‘new Shekau’ will
come from after government at several times in the past, announced that
they had killed the insurgent leader.
Beyond this, credible
sources have alerted the APC that the fake Shekau might become a tool to
blackmail members of the opposition by coaching the phantom terror
chief to say he was working for the opposition party candidate, General
Muhammadu Buhari in order to link its presidential candidate to
terrorism as it had attempted but failed in the past.
“The charge
to the military, that they should catch Shekau alive by President
Goodluck Jonathan in the last 24 hours lends credence to the report that
indeed a fake Shekau is about being created.”
The statement went
on to assert that the profile of the leader of the insurgents, Shekau,
of a dedicated ideologue presupposes that the man is not likely to allow
himself to be caught alive. “It is both contradictory to the ideology
he preaches and the psychological profile that the world has of him that
Shekau would allow himself to be caught alive,” the statement asserted.
The
APCPCO recalled that the attack back in Kaduna on the party’s
presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari was seen and believed
by most Nigerians that it was perpetrated by the Boko Haram. “The police
that is constitutionally empowered to investigate and report on such
incidents has not contradicted the widespread belief that this was a
Boko Haram attack.”The view of the APC is that it does not make sense
for General Muhammadu Buhari to be in league with, or be associated in
any way with people who have set out to kill him.”
In the view of
this, the APCPCO said the government needs to listen to the various
counsel from international bodies and lately by our religious leaders
that campaign must be about issues and not maligning people. “Unfounded
allegations linking the opposition to insurgency amounts to leaving the
issues to pursue personal attacks as warned against, barely 24 hours ago
by leaders of the Catholic Community in the country, through Arch.
Bishop John Onaiyekan.
The APC presidential campaign said it was
no less shocked, as other Nigerians by the President’s admission in a
weekend newspaper interview that he has under-estimated the Boko Haram
challenge, arguing that any leader in that circumstance should not
consider himself fit to seek re-election.
Quoting
President Jonathan’s recent confession that he under-estimated Boko
Haram, the APC presidential campaign said the admission was a direct
evidence that the PDP President has nothing to offer and must bow to the
wind of change.
According to the statement, President Jonathan is
out of touch with the realities of the lethal challenges posed by
global terrorism, including Boko Haram, which is affiliated to Al-Qaeda
global terror network.
Malam Garba Shehu explained that for any
President to under-estimate terrorism, it means that he doesn’t take any
national challenges seriously, including health, poverty, unemployment,
power, education, infrastructure and other issues.
The APC
presidential campaign added that with his admission, President Jonathan
has passed a vote of no confidence on himself and his government.
The
statement added, however, that APC presidential campaign was not
surprised by the self-confessed failure by the PDP President, explaining
that his confession underlines the imperative for change.
Shehu
said that with a President admitting his incompetence of a mortal
challenge to the security of Nigerians, he has no business seeking
re-election or looking for excuses to delay the polls.
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