(PRESS RELEASE)
The Joint Action on Democracy (JAD) has sounded the alarm over a recent meeting attended by prominent politicians, including Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Nasiru el-Rufai, and Abubakar Malami.
According to JAD, these individuals are threatening Nigeria’s democracy and should be held accountable for any harm caused to the country.
In a statement signed by its President, Ambassador Moses Oriri, the JAD expressed concerns over the politicians’ history of undermining democracy and alleged involvement in violent activities.
Oriri accused them of attempting to illegally replace the government through anti-democratic means, including collaborating with foreign interests and inciting violent protests.
The group specifically criticised Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s role in the rise of banditry during his tenure as Sokoto State Governor, as well as Nasiru el-Rufai’s alleged payment of millions of naira to rampaging herders, which led to the emergence of kidnap for ransom and banditry.
“We have since learnt that these failed politicians’ anger was because President Bola Tinubu bravely initiated reforms that are already showing results,” the statement added.
“As a consequence, these charlatans do not stand any chance in the next general elections even if they band together, hence their resort to anti-democratic means to force a regime change.
“JAD urges Nigerians to note that these people have in the past overseen jurisdictions that descended into violence, some of which continue to manifest as the insecurity that the country is tackling today. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s outing as Sokoto State Governor is pivotal to the birth of banditry of which he is yet to come clear about his role in this perverted phenomenon.
“Nasiru el-Rufai’s tenure as Kaduna State governor birthed kidnap for ransom after he bizarrely made huge payments to rampaging herders of his ethnic stock, a phenomenon that opened the eyes of criminals to how they can abduct Nigerians to make money, and which later fused into banditry.
“Rotimi Amaechi’s tenure as the governor of Rivers State cannot be divorced from the arming of militants who later crippled the nation’s oil infrastructure which is now only being rebuilt. This failed state scenario is what they plan to replicate on a national scale to justify their bid to overthrow the government.
“We have also seen in the past how the likes of Atiku and Obi incited public sentiments against the government, something they will continue to do irrespective of who occupies the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Such incitement includes clandestinely sponsoring insurrection in the name of popular citizens’ protests to overthrow the government and precipitate an interim or transitional government that is alien to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
“We are further concerned that given utterances from the recent meeting at which these people alluded to a ‘weak government’, their series of recent clandestine meetings with foreign interests, the incitement of citizens to engage in violent protests, desperate attempts to cobble together an alliance that is doomed to fail, and baseless attacks on the government, this collection of politicians are up to mischief that could undermine Nigeria’s democracy.”
JAD urged the authorities to watchlist the participants, particularly Nasir el-Rufai, and to take firm action against any attempts to destabilise the country.
The organisation emphasised that the situation requires the application of the law rather than just issuing statements.
