By Nwafor Sunday
…Says the law should take its course
Presidency has reacted to the incident that happened in Aso Rock, Presidential villa on Thursday. Garba Shehu, Senior Special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, has in a statement said that critics are using minor occurrence to justify attacks on the government and the person of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He wrote via his official twitter handle that the law should be allowed to take its course on the matter.
However, there had been reports of shooting at the Villa, by some security officials in pursuit of a presidential aide who had allegedly refused to isolate for COVID-19 after travelling out of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The First Lady was said to have been infuriated by the aide’s action. The aide, according to sources, fled and it was in the process of stopping him that shots were fired.
In view of that, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, lampooned Buhari and urged him to speak out.
PDP’s reaction
“The PDP is deeply worried that the protracted spat between the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, and aides of President Muhammadu Buhari has now degenerated into violent combats, raids and free use of firearms within the Presidential villa.
The party described as distressing, the report that a members of Mr. President’s family were at scene of the assault against one of President Buhari’s aides, during which the First Lady’s security details were alleged to have resorted to the use of firearms.
Our party is disturbed by such ugly situation in the Buhari Presidency, which has already heightened apprehensions in the public space over the apparent failure of security architecture and central command system in the presidency leading to such reckless and irresponsible breaches.
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The chaotic situation in the Presidential villa only points to the failure by President Buhari to provide a leadership that can guarantee orderliness in governance and effectively ensure the security of our nation.
The PDP notes that such leadership failure at the highest level has further exposed why our nation has been bedeviled by myriads of security and economic problems under President Buhari’s watch in the last five years.
More worrisome is that the Buhari Presidency had failed to speak out on the frightening situation so as to reassure Nigerians and douse the tension in the polity; especially at this critical time when our nation is facing serious security challenges.
The PDP therefore calls on President Buhari to take immediate steps to restore order in his Presidency and shield our security system from the division and power tussle among persons close to him.”
Fani-Kayode’s reaction
“I have heard the details of what actually transpired at the Villa a couple of nights ago and I am utterly appalled.
How can a Personal Assistant order his men to fire shots in the air in an attempt to intimidate and threaten Aisha Buhari and the President’s children after hurling unprintable insults at them?
No matter how one feels about Buhari and his Government this is unacceptable. The First Lady deserves to be respected.
She also needs to be protected from the ruthless cabal of cruel and primitive misogynists that hold sway in the Villa before something terrible happens. You can’t shoot guns to threaten someone’s wife and still claim to love him.
The insolent and heartless Personal Assistant that was responsible for this reckless affront and brutal assault ought to be grabbed by the scrotum, dragged to the front gate and thrown out of the Villa.
He is a danger to the First Lady, a liability to the President and a disgrace to the nation.”
Presidency’s reaction
In view of these and many more comments from Nigerians, Presidency said:
“The Presidency wishes to acknowledge concerns expressed by several members of the public regarding the recent incident among the occupants of the State House which escalation led to the arrest of some staff by the police.
This is to assure all and everyone that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, is not, and was not at anytime in any form of danger arising, either from deadly infections or the reported incident by security personnel which is currently under investigation.
This particular incident happened outside the main residence of the President.
Armed guards and other security personnel assigned to the State House receive the necessary training of especially weapons handling and where they come short, their relevant agencies have their rules and regulations to immediately address them.
Having authorized the proper investigation to be carried out into this unfortunate incident by the Police, the President has acted in compliance with the rule of law.
That a minor occurrence is being used by some critics to justify attacks on the government and the person of President Muhammadu Buhari beggars belief.
In this particular instance, the President says the law should be allowed to take its course.”
Disclaimer
Comments expressed here do not reflect the opinions of Vanguard newspapers or any employee thereof.