Don’t set Nigeria abaze with your Govs’ incendiary comments, BMO warns opposition PDP

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has upbraided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over incendiary media comments by its governors.

BMO recalled that the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed and his Benue State counterpart, Gabriel Ortom have been at each other’s throat on the issue of threats of eviction of Fulani herdsmen in the southern part of Nigeria.

While the Bauchi State Governor traced the origin of the profiling of Fulani herdsmen to Governor Ortom’s comments in the past, the Benue Governor countered that Governor Bala Mohammed was by his recent comments giving tacit support to criminals.

In a statement issued by the group and signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO appealed to the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party to save the country from needless civil unrest through their unguarded comments. It also advised PDP leaders to spare time out of their daily media attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari to put their disorganised house in order.

“We consider it a height of irresponsibility for the PDP and its Governors to exacerbate the tension in the country, rather than play the role of leaders and peacemakers. It is also disappointing that while the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari is working hard to calm tension across the country and promote the peaceful co-existence of all Nigerians, the PDP and its leaders are busy creating divisions among Nigerians, thereby creating unnecessary tension in the land.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has, in a bid to curtail the spate of insecurity in Nigeria, approved stakeholders meetings with the security agencies in the six geo-political zones of the country. The first has held in the North-West with most leaders of the zone in attendance.

“Similarly the President has been engaging some of the affected States where tensions rose as a result of the eviction or quit notices to herders, and this approach is yielding the desired results as peace has gradually returned to the affected communities”.

BMO urged the PDP to join hands with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in advancing the peace and development of the country, rather than playing destructive opposition politics.

“There is no doubt that the recent outbursts of the three PDP governors, Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, Gabriel Ortom of Benue state and Bala Mohammammed of Bauchi state is a clear manifestation of our earlier position that the PDP had, during its 16-year misrule, trivialised and politicised security issues to the detriment of the people.

“It is no wonder that Governors of the same political party could not come together and appraise the security situation in the country and proffer workable solutions, rather than inflaming passions and creating tension in the country, the statement added.

BMO urged the Governors and PDP to act as a responsible opposition and desist from further creating confusion and needless tension in the country”.