The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency for staging the abduction and release of the schoolgirls in Dapchi, Yobe State, for political reasons.
The main opposition party argued that the move was to give President Muhammadu Buhari cheap political points, ahead of his decision to formally seek reelection in the 2019 general elections.
It therefore called on the United Nations (UN) and the International Criminal Court to declare the action as a war crime against humanity and immediately commence investigation on the matter.
“We demand the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in this saga.
“In the same vein, we join Nigerians to demand for the setting up of a UN monitored Truth Commission to unravel the facts around the Dapchi event as well as the abduction of Schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State in 2014,” National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, stated this in Abuja on Wednesday, while reacting to the release of the abducted girls.
Speaking in a press conference, Secondus described the development as a fraud meant to hoodwink Nigerian electorates ahead of the elections.
He challenged the government to disclose the report of the investigative committee it set up to look into the issue.
The National Chairman also tasked the government to release the remaining Chibok girls kidnapped in 2014, still in custody with the Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
His words: “The mystery surrounding how they were abducted and also released is another issue. Whether it was pre-determined nobody knows. Government should release the investigation report, because there are doubts here and there. Whether there were conspiracies to get them out and bring them after, to earn some reputation nobody knows.
“As we challenge the APC government to release the report, we also asked that never again should this type of thing happen in our country, where for purpose of boosting profile of this failed government or whatever the purpose maybe that security left Dapchi School and immediately they left the girls were kidnapped.
“Well the government said they negotiated for it, but we charge the APC failed government to also negotiate for the release of the remaining Chibok girls. All these things happening are strange, never happened before. It seems to me that the centre can no longer hold. This APC government is broken”.
Also in a separate press conference, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, submitted that there is no evidence that the Boko Haram insurgents abducted the schoolgirls in the first place.
According to him, what is evident is the high level official manipulation of security movements in Dapchi both in the staged abduction and the returning of the traumatized schoolgirls.
He described the act as wicked, callous and tormenting.
“While this failed Dapchi drama remains a poorly crafted tragicomedy: a scam of no equal dimension, Nigerians are not ready to forgive the APC and the Presidency for the torments inflicted on the girls, their parents and the human community worldwide just to score a cheap political point.
“Nigerians know that the main aim of this devilish act was to delude the public, set the stage for an orchestrated rescue, create a heroic myth and false sense of achievement around the APC administration and serve as a spur for President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration to contest the 2019 presidential election, perhaps in the coming weeks.
“As a political party, we want to further state unequivocally that by all ramifications, this is a war crime against humanity and gross violation of human rights on the part of the APC administration, all in the bid to push a selfish and ill-lucked 2019 ambition.
“There is no evidence that the Boko Haram insurgents or any militant group abducted the schoolgirls in the first place. Rather, what is evident to all is the high level official manipulation of security movements in Dapchi both in the staged abduction and the returning of the traumatized schoolgirls.
“It is instructive to note that till date, no report has been presented by the National Security Adviser (NSA), who has been charged by President Muhammadu Buhari with investigation of the abduction. This is in addition to deliberate efforts by the government to suppress free flow of information around the abduction.
“Even the regular Nigerian on the street has examined the events leading to this abduction of our daughters as well as their release and can deduce theobvious.
“Nigerians are all aware that both the abduction and return of the schoolgirls were dramatically preceded by questionable withdrawal of troops and all security apparatus at checkpoints and flashpoints in the Dapchi area.
“They are also aware that the Buhari Presidency, as the principal command center of military operations, has refused to come out clear on the compromising of security and why no arrest has so far been affected in the entire saga, thus betraying a high-level of government conspiracy against the citizens for political reasons,” he said.
The party submitted that the present administration will stop at nothing in its desperate bid to perpetuate itself in power against the will of the people.
It urged Nigerians to be alert and continue to monitor the activities of the APC as the general elections approach.
