Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has swiftly and venomously responded to reports of attacks on government security posts and INEC facilities in the South-East saying that the perpetrators are poised on destroying Nigeria.
Whereas the prevalent trajectory of heinous attacks by Fulani herdsmen in the Southern part of Nigeria seemed not to be on the list of his concerns, the president responded to the South East attacks with lethal threats.
Responding to the reports of destructions done to INEC facilities in the South East, the president said that the attacks are purported to destroy his government and said: “I receive daily security reports on the attacks, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail.”
“Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives.” The President also threatened that he will treat them in the language they understand. “We are going to be very hard sooner than later,” President Buhari added.
Recall that the statements drew criticisms and caused TWITTER to delete some of the tweets as they considered them a genocidal threat to lives of others.
Below is a further report on what President Buhari said as was published by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
THOSE WHO WANT TO DESTROY THIS COUNTRY HAVE SHOCK COMING THEIR WAY, SAYS PRESIDENT BUHARI
President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday issued a stern warning to those bent on destroying the country through promoting insurrection, and burning down critical national assets: a rude shock awaits them, and very soon too.
The President spoke after he received briefing from Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, on series of attacks on facilities of the electoral body round the country.
“I receive daily security reports on the attacks, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail,” President Buhari said. “Insecurity in Nigeria is now mentioned all over the world. All the people who want power, whoever they are, you wonder what they really want. Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives. We’ve given them enough time.”
President Buhari recalled that he visited all the 36 states of the country before the 2019 election, “and majority of the people believed me, and the election proved it.” He promised to continue leading the country in accordance with Constitutional provisions.
PHOTO GALLERY SUPPLIED BY THE SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT
He said those misbehaving in certain parts of the country were obviously too young to know the travails and loss of lives that attended the Nigerian Civil War. “Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand. We are going to be very hard sooner than later.”
The President said the Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police have been changed, “and we will demand security from them.”
On the dangers posed to future elections by the burning of INEC facilities, President Buhari said he would give the electoral commission all it needed to operate, “so that no one would say we don’t want to go, or that we want a third term. There will be no excuse for failure. We’ll meet all INEC’s demands.”
In his briefing, Prof Yakubu said that so far, there have been 42 cases of attacks on INEC offices nationwide, since the last General Election.
“The 42 incidents so far occurred in 14 states of the Federation for a variety of reasons….Most of the attacks happened in the last seven months, and they are unrelated to protest against previous elections. From the pattern and frequency of the most recent attacks, they appear to be targeted at future elections. The intention is to incapacitate the Commission, undermine the nation’s democracy and precipitate a national crisis,” Prof Yakubu said.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
June 1, 2021
