PDP Gives Buhari 24 Hours to Arrest Miyetti Allah Leaders

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to order the arrest of the leaders of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association within 24 hours and commence their trial for threatening to forcefully remove Senate President Bukola Saraki from office.

The party described the outburst of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, which it said echoed the threats by the All Progressives Congress and agents of the Buhari Presidency, to force the President of the Senate out of office as ominous and revealing.

In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said the unguarded statement by Miyetti Allah had 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.

“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,” it said.

PDP alleged before now, the majority of Nigerians had thought that the Miyetti Allah represented the military wing of the APC and the Buhari Presidency.

“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,” it said.

According to the main opposition party, it is incontrovertible that the group has 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.

“It is common knowledge that Mr. President has come under heavy public criticisms on how his body language has condoned the unguarded utterances and actions of these characters,” the party said.
PDP further said that it was aware that Miyetti Allah did not represent the views and interests of the vast majority of cattle breeders or even any ethnic group in the country.

The party therefore urged all 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 Nigeria’s democracy.