A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George has warned that Nigeria could be heading into another civil war with the current spate of killings across the country.
He said his former boss in the military, President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to protect lives of Nigerians, adding that elders like himself must not sit down and watch as things get out of hands.
In an interview with Sun, he pleaded with the President to do anything within the circles of his power to stop the operation of the killer Fulani herdsmen.
He called on the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to return to the PDP without further delay, adding that they were only tenants in the All Progressives Congress, APC.
He added, “There has been a lot of anxiety, and tension in the country over the present state of insecurity especially the killings in Benue, Adamawa, Taraba, Zamfara with the latest being Plateau State, what’s your reaction to the developments?
“There are times when elders and other well experienced people will not make comments on certain things going on in the country for one reason or the other, and there are times things will be happening in the country, and it will be negligent for elders to keep quiet,
and this is one of those periods that elders must talk out.
“We must voice out our disappointment over these killings. What is happening in Nigeria today is not only sad but also very frightening. I’m not speaking out against these killings because of my political leaning, but I’m speaking out against these killings because I’m an elder, and a patriot. I’m speaking out because today Nigeria is bleeding and wobbling.
“I’m talking because I’m a concerned Nigeria I want to make this appeal to President Buhari because we have the same background, and professional calling, and that’s talking about our military background.
“President Buhari is my former boss and I want him to succeed. If anybody is telling Buhari that there is no problem in Nigeria today, those saying that are not telling him the truth and they are not being fair to him.
“I’m pleading with President Buhari being a former staff officer to him when we were in the military together that we have to do
something about the present insecurity problem in Nigeria. I know that Buhari is a good man who is passionate about Nigeria.
“He loves Nigeria. I’m therefore appealing to him that we have to find an urgent solution to these problems.
“The most disturbing thing in this country today is insecurity of lives and properties. I want to plead with President Buhari that he
should take a cursory look at these killings going on in this country.
“These killings are not only creating division among Nigerians but they are getting scary. Nigerians are scared and if the situation continues like this, we are not only playing with fire but Nigeria may soon explode, and if the present situation is not well handled, it may result into another civil war. But we should not be poor students of history.
“We’ve gone through civil war before, we should not go that path again. President Buhari has to do something urgent to arrest the deteriorating situation.”
He continued, “When these people, Saraki, Dogara and others were leaving PDP then, I cautioned them against leaving the party. I told them that in PDP you people are still landlords but when you get to APC, you will become tenants.
“I further told them that why are they leaving the house they help build to go and become tenants in another house?
“How can you abandon your house because your house was leaking to go and become tenant in another house? Saraki and others don’t belong to APC, they were just tenants there, and that is why they are passing through what they are passing there in APC.
“For me, Saraki, Dogara and others have no business in staying a day longer in APC, they should return to PDP to help rebuild the party to make it stronger. Now that they have seen how they are being treated in APC, they should come back to PDP.”
