Muslim group: Does Secondus expect Nigerians to swallow that dry apology?

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should “remain in quarantine” for the “humongous amounts of money stolen by the party” during its 16-year rule.

Ishaq Akintola, MURIC director, said this on Thursday while reacting to the recent apology offered to Nigerians by Uche Secondus, PDP national chairman.

In a statement issued after a meeting of the group’s central think-tank in Abuja, Akintola described the apology as “half-hearted” and “deceitful”.

Accusing the PDP of various corrupt practices, the MURIC director said the party “should just remain in quarantine… corruption is a highly contagious disease”.

“It (apology) is half-hearted because it is not comprehensive. Secondus said he apologised to Nigerians for ‘impunity, the imposition of candidates and other mistakes made in the past.’ Just like that? Nothing was mentioned about the humongous amounts of money stolen by the PDP and whether or not the stolen funds will be returned,” he said.

“Nothing was said about widespread corruption during PDP’s reign. There was no mention of infrastructural negligence. Does Secondus expect Nigerians to swallow that dry apology hook, line and sinker? No, the tides have turned. Nigerians are now wiser. Who is the PDP trying to deceive?”

“The apology is deceitful because even its megaphones do not believe that any apology should be offered. They are still arrogant and unrepentant. Femi Fani-Kayode, a PDP chieftain and firebrand megaphone, lambasted Uche Secondus for apologizing.

“Femi Fani-Kayode’s body language, coupled with Fayose’s hateful comportment and utterances since PDP fell from grace to grass are indubitable evidence of lack of remorse and unmitigated impunity. He who must come to equity must come with clean hands. PDP must be kept at bay.”

He added that Nigerians “sent PDP packing” because of “its kleptomania and its flair for sharing money meant for building roads, electricity, education, etc, among its leaders.”

“Before PDP can think of coming back, the party must tell us that it has agreed that stealing is corruption. Not only that, it must offer unreserved apology to the Nigerian hoi polloi for making that sweeping and misleading statement. Until they change that erroneous ideology, we will not touch PDP with a long pole,” he added.