The presidency Tuesday called on a former head of state and candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 presidential election, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), to emulate President Goodluck Jonathan by leading discussions with the militant Islamic group, Boko Haram.
It also denied knowledge of any presidential directive against the registration of the opposition parties’ coalition, the All Progressives Congress (APC), or any clampdown on any opposition leader.
It challenged any media organisation that has such a presidential directive to publish the directive or keep quiet.
Last year, a faction of the Islamic sect had nominated Buhari to hold peace talks with the federal government on their behalf, but he had rejected the offer.
However, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), reacting to the report by a national newspaper (not THISDAY) that there was a presidential directive to frustrate APC’s registration and a plot to attack opposition leaders, warned against such attempts.
It said no presidential directive could stop the registration of APC, an amalgam of ACN, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), CPC and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
On the raging debate over whether Boko Haram should be granted amnesty, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, at another occasion Tuesday, said the federal government would not be cajoled into granting amnesty to the Islamic militant group.
Commenting on the remarks by Buhari that the federal government should be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the country, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, urged the CPC leader to emulate Jonathan who went into the creeks of the Niger Delta with other eminent citizens from the area to appeal to the Niger Delta militants to embrace dialogue as a way of resolving their grievances against the state.
According to Okupe, “Nigerians should ask him that as a former head of state and as someone who wants to be president again, what has he done to end this insurgency in the country?
“Or is it when he becomes president that he will stop the insurgency? No, it does not work that way. He should emulate President Jonathan who went to the creeks of the Niger Delta canvassing for peace and dialogue with the militants of the Niger Delta.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Presidency Challenges Buhari to Lead Talks with Boko Haram
The presidency Tuesday called on a former head of state and candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 presidential election, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), to emulate President Goodluck Jonathan by leading discussions with the militant Islamic group, Boko Haram.
It also denied knowledge of any presidential directive against the registration of the opposition parties’ coalition, the All Progressives Congress (APC), or any clampdown on any opposition leader.
It challenged any media organisation that has such a presidential directive to publish the directive or keep quiet.
Last year, a faction of the Islamic sect had nominated Buhari to hold peace talks with the federal government on their behalf, but he had rejected the offer.
However, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), reacting to the report by a national newspaper (not THISDAY) that there was a presidential directive to frustrate APC’s registration and a plot to attack opposition leaders, warned against such attempts.
It said no presidential directive could stop the registration of APC, an amalgam of ACN, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), CPC and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
On the raging debate over whether Boko Haram should be granted amnesty, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, at another occasion Tuesday, said the federal government would not be cajoled into granting amnesty to the Islamic militant group.
Commenting on the remarks by Buhari that the federal government should be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the country, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, urged the CPC leader to emulate Jonathan who went into the creeks of the Niger Delta with other eminent citizens from the area to appeal to the Niger Delta militants to embrace dialogue as a way of resolving their grievances against the state.
According to Okupe, “Nigerians should ask him that as a former head of state and as someone who wants to be president again, what has he done to end this insurgency in the country?
“Or is it when he becomes president that he will stop the insurgency? No, it does not work that way. He should emulate President Jonathan who went to the creeks of the Niger Delta canvassing for peace and dialogue with the militants of the Niger Delta.
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