PDP gives Buhari 24 hours to arrest Macban leaders to prove they are not the APC's armed wing

NIGERIA'S main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has given President Muhammadu Buhari 24 hours to arrest the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (Macban) leaders following their threat to forcefully remove senate president Senator Bukola Saraki.

Yesterday in Makurdi, Macban's national coordinator in Benue State, Alhaji Garus Gololo, said Senator Saraki must resign his position immediately or they will force him to do so. Alhaji Gololo said Senator Saraki had created numerous problems for the administration of President Buhari, which he said had affected the economic and social growth of the nation.

In a swift response, the PDP said should President Buhari fail to order the arrest of Macban leaders and commence their prosecution, Nigerians will hold him responsible for the actions of the group, going forward. Describing Macban as an agent of President Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) and agents of the Buhari presidency, the PDP stated that the threat against Senator Saraki was ominous and revealing.

PDP publicity secretary Kola Ologbondiyan said: “If anything, this unguarded statement by Miyetti Allah has exposed the synergy between the ruling party and some troublesome elements, who are being used to stoke division and create violent crisis that had resulted into daily bloodlettings in various parts of the country. It is now abundantly clear to Nigerians that those fomenting crisis, including the bloody clashes in Benue, Taraba, Zamfara, Nassarawa, Plateau, Kaduna, Edo, Borno, Yobe, Enugu, Kogi, Adamawa and other states in our country, have political backers, who now want to channel them to achieve their unpatriotic quest to subvert our constitution and forcefully take over the National Assembly.

“Before now, to majority of Nigerians, the Miyetti Allah has always represented the military wing of the APC and the Buhari presidency. It is incontrovertible that they have now become the fourth arm of government that can determine when and how to forcefully remove the

number three citizen, the president of the senate."

Mr Ologbondiyan added that it is common knowledge that Mr President has come under heavy public criticism on how his body language has condoned the unguarded utterances and actions of Macban leaders. Of late, President Buhari has been accused of failing to crack down on Macban, the same way he has on other dissident groups like Boko Haram, Shiite Muslims and Biafran separatist groups.

“However, in the light of these treasonable and inciting utterances by Miyetti Allah, we demand that President Muhammadu Buhari, should within the next 24 hours, order the arrest and commence immediate trial of the leadership of this group, otherwise Nigerians will henceforth hold him directly responsible for the utterances and actions of the Miyetti

Allah. Finally, the PDP is aware that Miyetti Allah does not represent the views and interests of the vast majority of cattle breeders or even any ethnic group in the country, so therefore urge all good spirited Nigerians to rise in condemnation of the actions and utterances of these misguided elements, who are being used to attempt a constitutional breach that portends grave danger to national cohesion and our hard earned democracy,” Mr Ologbondiyan added.