The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum (PDP-GF) on Friday reiterated its stand on the need for the Federal Government and the National Assembly to fast track the modification of the portions of the 1999 Constitution on national security and the Electoral Act.
To this end, the Forum suggests that the Federal Government should consider devolving the country’s security forces in order to checkmate the current security breaches across the country.
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The Chairman of the Forum, Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State, made the call again on Friday when the party held its National Caucus meeting in Abuja.
The same call was made by the party a couple of weeks ago when it met at Makurdi in Benue State.
Yesterday’s meeting was summoned by the Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus to discuss the crucial issue of national security with a view to coming up with some ideas and suggestions to the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led national government.
According to Tambuwal, “the Makurdi meeting advised the Federal Government and the National Assembly to possibly expedite the Constitutional amendment that concerns national security and the Electoral Act.”
He urged the apex government to give “expeditious hearing and passage” to the two issues, assuring that “all the governors of the states are on the same page… and “will also work with all the state Houses of Assembly to achieve the decentralization of the security forces of Nigeria.”
He explained that “this is key and fundamental in addressing the challenges we are facing,” noting that when seven of them (governors) met President Muhammadu Buhari recently they appealed to him to “recall the country’s ex-servicemen that are still capable and can contribute to the solving the problem of insecurity.”
Gov. Tambuwal stated that it is obvious that the “government of APC in power is clearly bereft of ideas on how to go about addressing and salvaging our nation.
“Clearly, the administration has failed in its number one duty of providing security to individuals and citizens of this country; and their property, as constitutionally prescribed by our Constitution,” he emphasized.
“From Lagos to Maiduguri, from Uyo to Sokoto, the story is the same. So many lives were being lost callously to these criminals,” he further emphasized.
He, therefore, suggested that Nigerians “must all rise to the occasion. We must all come together, put our hands on deck irrespective of party or political differences to save our nation.
Muhammad Bello
Special Adviser Media and Publicity to the Governor
May 1, 2021
Sokoto
