Vivian Onyebukwa
The senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has blamed the unending mindless killing of Nigerians by suspected herdsmen on the failure of the Buhari government to protect the people.
He was reacting to the fresh killing of 86 in Plateau state by herdsmen on Sunday.
Sani alleged that the ruling party has not been fair in ensuring justice and equality in the country.
This comes as his colleague, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, representing Bayelsa East, decried that the members of the Senate were being harassed and intimidated by a cabal allegedly controlling Buhari’s government.
The senators both urged Nigerians to use their votes in 2019 to kick out the current government, alleging that a cabal hell bent on destroying democracy through ignoring the rule of law and witch hunting of perceived critics, is holding the country by the jugular.
“The ruling party has not been fair in ensuring justice and equality for the nation. We are in a very serious period of our country where anybody who is not a supporter of the government is criminalised and framed up for one alleged crime or the other,” Sani stated.
“The nation is still being controlled by a cabal holding the country at its jugular. It is not safe for people to criticize or express their opinions any longer. This is not democracy, where freedom of expression, right to criticize are respected.
“I wonder why the South West which has been known to express civilized criticisms against bad leadership and resist autocratic the tendencies have become suddenly cold. South West that were the pillars of the struggle against injustice, have suddenly shut up and could no longer speak.”
Murray Bruce on his part decried that: “Today in Nigeria, there is insecurity, We have been intimidated, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Dino Melaye, and Abaribe, are harassed and persecuted for same alleged criminal connivance with some miscreants’ activities. It is difficult to understand what is happening.
“Democracy should be nurtured and not destroyed by political witch hunt. We are in state of total insecurity. I am worried and concerned, everywhere people are in danger. But we must save democracy.
“While we must respect constituted authority but the authorities must also accord us same respect.
People rise and people fall. The opposition should be permitted because soon or later the hunter will become the haunted,” he warned.
The two senators spoke in Lagos while receiving recognition awards by the Hall of Grace (HOG) magazine.
The HOG magazine has former Minister of Information Alex Akinyele as board chairman and Rupert Ojenuwa as Managing Custodian, with Prof. Dupe Olatubosun as Chief Custodian. Sani and Bruce spoke at the Summit Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, on Sunday night, while being honoured for defending democracy.
At the event, Sani, who commented on recent developments in the country – highlighting the herdsmen killings, emergence of ex-Edo governor Adams Oshiomole as national Chairman of ruling party APC, and the alleged clampdown on members of the National Assembly – said: “Adams Oshiomole is a good leader, but the cabal in government would be his stumbling block. We need a vibrant, fearless and courageous opposition. Whoever will do this must be a fearless fighter. I think what we need to do is to stand for those principles that democracy represents.”