The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the abduction of the party’s Edo State chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, highlights the failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to ensure the security and welfare of Nigerians.
The main opposition party made the assertion in a statement issued on Saturday by Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary, where it demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the party chairman.
Aziegbemi was said to have been abducted in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
The PDP expressed serious concerns over Dr. Aziegbemi’s abduction “which further points to the alarming failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Federal Government in its primary duty to ensure the security and welfare of Nigerians as provided under Section 14 (2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”
The statement said that the party is distressed by the alarming spate of abductions of helpless Nigerians in various parts of the country, particularly the recent kidnap of about 286 school children in Kaduna State and others in Sokoto State, who are still being held in horrifying and traumatizing conditions in their abductor’s den.
It added: “It is heartrending that the APC administration continues to give false assurances while Nigerians are left at the mercy of kidnappers, bandits, terrorists, and marauders without corresponding concrete effort to check the ugly occurrences.
“Our Party calls on the Federal Government to end its laid-back attitude to security by immediately rejigging our national security architecture, especially in the areas of intelligence gathering, security command and control coordination in a manner that not only proactively ensures the safety of citizens but also guarantees rapid response and effective rescue operations.”
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The PDP commended gallant security personnel in their patriotic effort to secure the nation and urged them not to relent despite the daunting challenges.
The Party also commended the efforts of the Edo State Governor, Governor Godwin Obaseki, particularly in the deployment of effective security frameworks and structures, which it said the security agencies should leverage to further guarantee the safety of citizens in Edo State and other parts of the country.
While calling on Nigerians to be prayerful, alert, and continue to support security agencies, the PDP charged the security high command to take urgent steps to secure the release of Dr. Aziegbemi and all other Nigerians trapped in abductors’ camps in various parts of the country.
