National Security Adviser, Owoye Azazi, has come under fire for his recent harsh comments blaming the recurrent violent attacks of the Boko Haram sect on the undemocratic practices of the ruling People’s Democratic Party.
Speaking at the South-South Economic Summit in Delta state, Mr. Azazi traced the rise in violent activities by the radical Islamic terrorist sect to Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency, saying “the extent of violence did not increase in Nigeria until when there was a declaration by the current president that he was going to contest”.
The chief security adviser said the PDP “got it wrong from the beginning”, picking and choosing who can and cannot be President of the country and practicing a politics of exclusion.
In a press statement, the ruling party fired back. They called General Azazi’s comments “a poor reflection of the foundation and the internal workings of the Party as well as a wrong deduction on the roots of security challenges in the country”.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, declared that the party remains united behind President Goodluck Jonathan and refuted allegations of practicing exclusion in politics.
“We wish to state without any ambiguity that our great Party remains the only political party in Nigeria that is not owned by any ethnic group, person or group of persons. All Nigerians are equal stakeholders.”
President Jonathan on a visit to the bombed premises of This Day Newspaper offices in Abuja condemned the attacks and commiserated with the victims of the coordinated bomb attacks, which also hit newspaper offices in Kaduna.
Addressing the NSA’s comments, Jonathan said: “Sometimes, you have something in your mind you want to communicate but the way you communicate it, different people will give different interpretations.”
He however added that the NSA’s dissection of the ruling party was wrong, saying “the PDP is one of the most democratic parties” in existence.
Metuh, in his statement, said the party was still committed to supporting and assisting NSA Azazi as “he remains focused in this job of securing the lives and property of Nigerians”.
“Our Party will not relent in seeking an end to the scourge of violent attacks in the country and will continue to encourage the security agencies to do their best in the interest of the nation,” Metuh stated.
