The Peoples Democratic Part (PDP) has called on the Federal Government to stop deceiving Nigerians with its claim that Boko Haram had been defeated.
It said events in the last few days had shown that the terror group was still very potent.
The party said it was sad with the claim by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, Prof. Ibrahim Njodi, that four of the university’s workers were still missing.
Njodi also said five of the university’s workers were brought to the town dead, adding that nine staff of the university were killed.
The spokesperson for the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, who spoke with one of our correspondents on the issue in Abuja on Sunday, said Nigerians had known that the government was lying.
Adeyeye stated, “The celebration of the alleged defeat of Boko Haram was premature. There was no need for that celebration. It was based on false information and distortion of facts.
“Now, we have seen the result that Boko Haram was not defeated and that is why the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, ordered the Army chief to relocate to Maiduguri.
“This is a grand deception; you can see that.
“It has been a complete disaster. Of course, we can have challenges fighting Boko Haram, but they should not deceive Nigerians. That is very important.
“They (the government) went to start the oil exploration in order to deceive Nigerians and the international community that Boko Haram has been defeated. They will claim that after all, we are now there and exploring oil. It is all deceit.”
But the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the statement by the PDP over the incident in Borno State as unfortunate.
He said this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Sunday.
Abdullahi said, “What happened in Borno State was tragic. Our hearts go out to the families of those directly affected.
Having said that, I think it is a tragedy that the opposition party is trying to use this unfortunate incident to play politics. It is mere evidence that the battle against Boko Haram is not yet over.
“How many times did the PDP announce that Shekau has been killed during the last administration? They killed Shekau almost four times, was that not propaganda? How many times did the PDP government announce that they entered into a ceasefire with Boko Haram, was that not propaganda?
“I don’t think that when a tragic situation like this happens, we should see it as a time to play politics.
“At times like this, we need to come together as one people to face it and deal with it. We must forget, before APC came to power, Boko Haram was occupying 50,000 square kilometres of the Nigerian territory; that is not the case today.”
