Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has challenged northern elders to speak out against the ravaging insecurity in the region.
Speaking on Thursday at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, the Speaker noted that Nigeria is witnessing destruction because enablers have resorted to worshiping an individual and comparing such a person with God.
According to him, next month’s General Election is a referendum on education, insecurity and hunger.
He expressed concern that besides Borno State, insecurity has now escalated to Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Benue, Plateau, Sokoto, Nasarawa States among others.
Condemning the conspiracy of silence by Northern elders, Dogara who is currently seeking reelection, said: “When these things was prevalence in 2015 we had Borno Elders, where are Borno Elders now? Where are the leaders of northern Nigeria, where this problem has become endemic? What are they saying? The truth is that if we don’t rise to the challenge sooner than later if things continue this way we are not going to have a country.
“So it is our responsibility to rescue Nigeria from the clutches of insecurity, because without security we cannot even understand the meaning of democracy.
“Now the sad commentary about the elite in Nigeria is that we have all by our silence become enabler to those who have been unable to tackle this insecurity. And you know what enabler do? Enablers don’t build a country, they only instigate or worship an individual to a position where they will compare such a person with God and none of us was built to receive worship. Any human being who accepts worship will meet destruction.
“That is why we are witnessing destruction in Nigeria because we have elevated some human beings to the status of God. And we need to rise up as a people to rescue the country from the clutches of insecurity”.
Earlier, the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abukakar, declared that insecurity is escalating in the country because the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration does not know how to govern.
He added that the APC is not campaigning because it plans to rig the forthcoming election.
Atiku who promised to address unemployment crisis, pledged to give 40 percent of his government to the youth and 30 percent to the women, “making a total of 70 per cent, this is because I want you to succeed us.”
In his remarks, PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to stop hiding in the Villa and come out and engage the people.
Secondus said Nigerians must elect a President they can see and feel stressing that Nigeria can no longer afford analogue leaders in digital era.
He said that while the PDP candidate and leaders are engaging the people for votes, President Buhari and APC leaders are hiding in the Villa planning how to rig election.
“Let me reiterate this warning to them including the Independent National Eceltoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, that any attempt to manipulate the election would be an invitation to a national crisis.
“If they love this county, they must not attempt to thwart the will of the people because it would be a recipe for crisis,” he said.
Dignataries at the event include Senate President, Bukola Saraki; PDP BoT Chairman, Walid Jibrin; former Acting National Chairman of PDP, Kawu Baraje; former and serving National Assembly members among others.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
