Pro-Taliban views: Pantami must suffer consequences of past actions – Buhari’s ex-associate, Buba

…says ’embattled minister has admitted his crime, he should face the music’

A former associate of President Muhammadu Buhari and member of the Board of Trustees of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Buba Galadima, says embattled Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, must be allowed to face the consequences of his past actions utterances.

Pantami has been the butt of criticisms following revelations about past comments he made in support of terrorist organisations – Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

A sermon he delivered in the past betrayed his alleged sympathy with the terrorist organisations, but he recently claimed to have since recanted such views.

But Galadima, who spoke on Arise TV programme on Friday, stressed that Pantami’s situation “is a clear example of opportunist Nigerians who speak to the gallery just because they wanted to get into a position.

“It is opportunism for these clergymen on all sides to play to the gallery because they want to draw attention. He did that at a certain period, and now he’s reaping the fruit of it because he has been recognised and given an appointment. Now that his past was bad, it is important that he faces his own music.

“Pantami has already admitted his crime. So, there is no need even to investigate anything because he has already admitted, he has apologised. Whether the apology is good enough to exonerate him, that I wouldn’t know.”

Galadima, however, faulted the Federal Government for backing Pantami on claims that he had recanted and apologised for his past statements.

Buhari’s estranged associate said, “If anybody commits an offence, apologises and is set free, then let the Federal Government today release Jolly Nyame and Chief Dariye of Plateau State. They have been jailed despite having remorse in court. Why can’t the Federal Government release them? Or those that are being interrogated for theft, they should be let off the hook, if they apologise.”