PDP Governors decry attack on Ortom, urges FG to secure lives of Nigerians
By Joy Okosieme
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum on Sunday condemned the assassination attempt on Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom Saturday.
Governor Ortom was attacked on Saturday while on his way to the farm by gun-wielding men who were repelled by his security operatives.
The PDP governors in a statement signed on Sunday by its chairman and Governor of Sokoto State, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal said they received with shock the attempt on Governor Ortom’s life.
The governors warned that any attempt to harm any Nigerian will be viewed as an attack on everyone. They avered that any dispute or perceived dispute should be and must be resolved amicably without resort to violence.
“Nigeria is not a Banana Republic, even though certain retrogressive elements and centrifugal forces are trying to consign Nigeria into a failed state.
It remains the primary responsibility of government, especially the Federal government, who have monopoly (sic)of the coercive forces of state, to secure the lives and livelihoods of our people, however low or high. Every Nigerian deserves equal protection of the laws. Every citizen is entitled to freedom of speech and free exercise of all rights guaranteed in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, subject only to law.
“Nigeria is still a democracy and a nation of laws and not men. Nobody, or group however highly placed should take the laws into their hands, even though some highly placed Federal government ministers seem to have surrendered to the nefarious activities of miscreants and mischief-makers, bent on destabilizing the nation. Self-help is an invitation to anarchy and must be nipped in the bud,” the Governors said in the statement.
SEE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
ATTEMPT ON GOVERNOR ORTOM, AN INVITATION TO ANARCHY: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
The PDP-Governors Forum has received with shock the assassination attempt on the Governor of Benue State, H.E. Dr Samuel Ortom.
2. We wish therefore to warn that any attempt to harm any Nigerian will be viewed by the Forum as an attempt on all of us.
3. We believe strongly that any dispute or perceived dispute should be and must be resolved amicably without resort to violence. Nigeria is not a Banana Republic, even though certain retrogressive elements and centrifugal forces are trying to consign Nigeria into a failed state.
4. It remains the primary responsibility of government, especially the Federal government, which has the monopoly of the coercive forces of the state, to secure the lives and livelihoods of our people, however low or high. Every Nigerian deserves equal protection of the laws. Every citizen is entitled to freedom of speech and free exercise of all rights guaranteed in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, subject only to law.
5 Nigeria is still a democracy and a nation of laws and not men.
Nobody, or group however highly placed should take the laws into their hands, even though some highly placed Federal government ministers seem to have surrendered to the nefarious activities of miscreants and mischief makers, bent on destabilising the nation. Self help is an invitation to anarchy and must be nipped in the bud.
6. The PDP GOVERNORS are solidly united and are behind His Excellency, Governor Dr Samuel Ortom and will do the utmost to defend the rights and prerogatives of the Benue people who elected him.
7. We expect the security agencies and other authorities of state to investigate this matter swiftly and thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice.
8 .Enough is clearly enough.
RT HON AMINU WAZIRI TAMBUWAL, CFR
CHAIRMAN PDP GOVERNORS’ FORUM
