PDP to Tinubu: Only government with no priority for citizens’ security would opt for war

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says only a government with no priority for its citizens’ security would go to war.

In July, Amadou Abdramane, a colonel-major, in the Niger Republic announced the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum from office in a coup.

On Thursday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), during its second extraordinary meeting, directed the deployment of standby military troops to restore constitutional order in the Niger Republic.

Reacting to the development in a statement on Sunday, Debo Ologunagba, national publicity secretary of the PDP, claimed President Bola Tinubu is desperate to plunge Nigeria into war by dragging the country’s military into conflict with Niger Republic.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) strongly condemns the desperation by @officialABAT and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to plunge Nigeria into a state of war by dragging our military into a needless conflict with Niger Republic,” he said.

“While the PDP frowns at unconstitutional change of government in any part of the world, our party holds that the situation in Niger Republic does not warrant any external peace-keeping effort and does not constitute any threat whatsoever to our national interest to justify committing our already overstretched military to harm’s way in a needless war.

“The insistence of the APC government to go to war in Niger Republic is already heightening tension in Nigeria.

“The PDP holds that nothing else can explain why the APC administration is eager to go to war in Niger Republic while it has practically turned a blind eye to the insecurity situation in our country, even with the mindless killing of over 500 innocent Nigerians in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kaduna and other states of the federation since May 2023.

“Also distressing is that the APC is ready to deploy billions of naira to prosecute a needless war despite our ailing national economy, crippled production sector, energy crisis, massive unemployment, frightening fall in the value of the naira and excruciating hardship in the country occasioned by its ill-informed, hasty and ill-implemented policies.

“Such can only come from an anti-people administration that has no iota of interest in the security and wellbeing of the nation and its citizens.”