Presidency replies senator who demanded Buhari’s resignation over mounting security challenges

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, says it is foolish not for anyone to ask President Muhammadu Buhari to resign over the insecurity in the country.

Enyinnaya Abaribe, senate minority leader, had earlier asked Buhari to step down over the persistent state of insecurity.

Abaribe made the call while contributing to a debate on the country’s insecurity at plenary on Wednesday.

“When you want to deal with a matter, you go to the head so we will go to government and ask this government to resign because they can no longer do anything,” Abaribe had said.

But replying in a statement, Shehu said Abaribe’s stance does not represent the collective wish of Nigerians.

He said the president is working hard to see to the end of insurgency in Nigeria and “he alone can do it”.

Shehu asked: “President Buhari to resign on what basis? Just because some characters think that President Buhari should resign, then they expect him to quit. That call does not represent the opinion of the country. This is the opinion of an armchair critic, known for making stray comments.

“President Buhari is working hard to keep Nigeria and Nigerians out of the harm terrorists have unleashed in the entire Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa with the support of Nigerians and our foreign friends, he is going to finish off these terrorists. He alone can do it.”

Shehu also tackled Abaribe who stood as one of the sureties for Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), when he was granted bail by a federal high court in Abuja.

He also took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he accused of “raping” Nigeria.

“If a leader like President Buhari needs to resign, there are millions of other Nigerians who need to resign, including Senator Abaribe who unlocked the door to enable the escape of traitorous and treasonable suspects,” he said.

“He signed the bond for the court to release Nnamdi Kanu on bail, from which moment the suspect disappeared into the thin air. Senator Abaribe has failed repeated deadlines to return Kanu to the court for trial, yet he has the effrontery with which to accuse someone of failing to the bidding of the law.

“This is a man who should have replaced the suspects he failed to produce in the correctional facility.

“Abaribe’s party raped the nation and left it collapsing in 2015 and President Buhari is fixing things up all the years he is in office.”