The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said on Tuesday described as ‘infatile’ the act of releasing the audio tape where the Minister of Transportation and Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Rotimi Amaechi, allegedly criticised President Muhammadu Buhari.
The minister who spoke to journalists in Abuja said the release of the tape would not break the ruling All Progressives Congress, but rather bolster it.
On the planned extension of the I-G’s tenure, he had this to say: “When you are drowning, you grab any floating object you can find. You even grab at straws. That’s what the PDP is doing with the issue of the IGP’s tenure.
“In the first instance, it is the prerogative of Mr President to extend or not to extend the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police or any service chief. That prerogative cannot be taken from Mr President on the altar of paranoia by some people.
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his time, extended the tenure of Mr Sunday Ehindero as IGP. Was there no opposition party then? Also, in his time, President Umaru Yar’Ardua extended the tenure of Mr Mike Okiro as IGP, heavens didn’t fall.
“I have read that some opposition parties are planning a series of nationwide protests on the issue of IG’s tenure. That’s purely within their right in a democracy. And I wish them the best of luck.”
On the plan by Buhari to extend the tenure of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrabim Idris, the Minister insisted the president was at liberty to do so adding that other former presidents have done so.
He said, “When you are drowning, you grab any floating object you can find. You even grab at straws. That’s what the PDP is doing with the issue of the IGP’s tenure.
“In the first instance, it is the prerogative of Mr President to extend or not to extend the tenure of the Inspector-General of Police or any service chief. That prerogative cannot be taken from Mr President on the altar of paranoia by some people.
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his time, extended the tenure of Mr Sunday Ehindero as IGP. Was there no opposition party then? Also, in his time, President Umaru Yar’Ardua extended the tenure of Mr Mike Okiro as IGP, heavens didn’t fall.
“I have read that some opposition parties are planning a series of nationwide protests on the issue of IG’s tenure. That’s purely within their right in a democracy. And I wish them the best of luck.”
Mohammed also spoke on the appointment of former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu as head of Buhari’s campaign, explaining that the President did not want his work affected by campaign, hence the decision to hand over the responsibility Tinubu.
Again, he said it was within the President’s right to do so as well as a mark of the confidence he reposed in the former governor.
His words: “Concerning the mischievous insinuation from the opposition that PMB handed over the campaign to Asiwaju because he cannot withstand the rigours of electioneering campaign, this is absurd.
“The President’s daily schedule over the past months is more rigorous than any electioneering campaign.
“Of course, it has never happened in the recent history of Nigeria that a President facing re-election will rather concentrate on his job rather than his campaign. PDP, for one, cannot fathom this because of their brand of do or die politics. Again, the President deserves commendation, not condemnation, for that decision.”
Speaking on the appointment of Amina Zakari as head of the Chairman, Collation Centre Committee, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,Mohammed said the opposition’s reaction was nothing but sheer hysteria, which can only result from a pathological fear of impending political doom.
“Her role is limited to overseeing the physical structure, that is the International Conference Centre, which is the collation centre for the presidential election. The cries of the opposition amount to red herring.
“In targeting Mrs Zakari, the PDP has forgotten that she was appointed in their time. If she was found worthy then, what has changed now?
“Ahead of the 2019 elections, the PDP has complained against the IG, INEC chairman, Mrs Amina Zakari, etc., the party is blaming everyone but itself for the sorry state in which it has found itself.”
Mohammed also denied the PDP’s allegations that the ruling party was planning to use the Operation Python Dance launched by the army to rig elections.
“The truth is that the PDP, in its time, used the security agencies to rig elections after elections. It is therefore not a surprise they are afraid that the APC might do the same. We do not rig elections and we do not use security agencies to rig elections. We are APC, not PDP.”
