Presidency has lambasted the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party over its criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent nomination of the immediate past service chiefs as non-career ambassadors.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Saturday, said contrary to the PDP’s opposition to the development, the “transition is normal in decent democratic societies.”
In the statement titled, “PDP should stop defaming President Buhari’s former service chiefs,” the Presidency condemned the outburst of the PDP, particularly its position that the nomination of the former service chiefs as ambassadors was to shield them from trial by the International Criminal Court.
The Presidency’s statement read, “How on earth can decent people run down hardworking professionals who have put in their best to defend their country? How can you run down your country and equate that with normal political dialogue and opposition?
“What is baffling about this false and baseless assertion is that this is coming, not from Boko Haram terrorists who the military kept largely in check and confined to a known section of the country, Sambisa, but from a so-called leading opposition party that fraudulently kept power for 16 years and is nursing the hope of one day returning to office as an elected government.
“What is more, under these corrupt politicians the insurgency conquered large swathes of territory-18 Local Government Areas.
“Pray, if a political party, in a blind search for power can spurn the interest of the nation, embrace the language of hate campaign against the country’s military as enunciated by the terrorists, as the PDP does, what will be left for the Boko Haram to do? PDP is doing Boko Haram’s work!”
The Presidency stressed that if the PDP had any evidence of rights abuse against the military in the war against terrorists, it should publish such evidence instead of making unsubstantiated accusations.
It questioned the rationale of the PDP’s accusations, describing it as lacking any depth.
The Presidency’s statement further said, “To add, we don’t think the ICC, which these childish calls are being made needs to be lectured on democratic values and human rights by the PDP. Who are they, and what is their record in office to lecture anyone? Zaki Biam and Odi where thousands of citizens were on record, the genocide operation comes to mind. Did they report themselves to the ICC?
“PDP’s attacks on the ambassadorial nominations should be seen in the context of the opposition party’s track record as a university of liars, whose modus operandi is to propagate lies.
“The President is rewarding hard work and exceptional sacrifice by a set of military leaders who gave their best to the nation and will be remembered, sooner than later, for their contributions to the security and survival of Nigeria as one nation. They should be allowed to move to the next level.
“This is so that their examples will help to inspire others if given the opportunity to serve.”
