The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progress Congress, (APC), Felix Morka, has said that the United States and Nigerian governments are working closely in order to tackle terrorism in the country.
He said this in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday.
“What we know is that the US government and the Nigerian authorities are coordinating very closely in any effort to defeat terror in our country. This is something that has brought hardship and pain and misery to our people where innocent citizens are slaughtered for no reason by these vile citizens, if they are citizens. I think whatever needs to be done is what the President is committed to doing to root out these people”, he said.
Addressing concerns of Nigerian citizens about the United States’ intervention being an invasion, Morka waved off these concerns insisting that there is no cause for alarm as the Nigerian government is actively involved in the decision making process.
“I understand those concerns. But in many cases, the concerns are valid where the country where these boots step in, are not at the table in making decisions. That’s not the case here. In this case, this is a closely coordinated effort between our government and the authorities in the United States. So I’m quite sure that whatever is agreed at the table is what they will do on the ground. But the emphasis here is that those who seek to kill our people are dealt with and pushed back severally.”
Speaking on President Tinubu’s recent order for Min. Nyesom Wike to halt impeachment plans for Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Morka said:
“Yes, the President has intervened, and we’re having to explain why he has in a constitutional matter. When events unfold in Rivers State as it’s doing now, and the President of the country, who is the President of everyone, whether PDP or APC, decides to intervene to bring some measure of calm, he has not said to anyone to abort the Constitutional process. He has simply given his own counsel as president to those involved. He did not go into the State House of Assembly to command anything. And I think that is perfectly compatible with our Constitution and democracy.”
He went further to dismiss claims that President’s Tinubu’s intervention is an instructive advice aimed at stopping a constitutional process.
“That is actually a contradiction in terms to call it instructive advice. Advice is advice, and instruction is instruction. When someone gives an advice to an individual or institution to behave a certain way, it is left to those who operate that institution to heed that advice or ignore it. He (President Tinubu) is not seeking to dictate to the Governor. It is still within his remit as president to ensure that every component part of this country functions properly”, he stated.
Debunking reports that the African Democratic Congress, (ADC), and other critics have warned that civil servants are being coerced into registering with the APC, Morka said:
“We do not have any burden to prove senseless, nonsensical allegation, in fact, you should be demanding for them to provide some evidence or substantiation. Those civil servants are Nigerians, they are reachable, so anyhow they got that information, they should be able to follow that same track back to the civil servants to come forward to testify as to how they are coerced by the APC. To ask us to begin to prove that we didn’t is not really the way it works. Due process requires that when you make an allegation, you actually provide some evidence to back it up, and they haven’t”, he stated.
He added: “Which is why I dismissed it in my statement that it is simply ADC being intimidated by the massive wave of registration in our party. People are registering voluntarily and enthusiastically.”
Speaking further on allegations levelled on the APC concerning videos circulating the internet alleging that the APC disrupted registration activities in ADC, Morka insisted that it is an obsession of the ADC with APC.
“At this point, I think that all the ADC is about is really about obsessing with APC. I don’t know why, but they are quite welcome to obsess about what our party is doing and not doing. If there are thugs disrupting their events, I don’t know what videos you are referring to, but they need to make that complaint to the appropriate authorities, the law enforcement, to find, arrest and interrogate those who cause violence. Violence must not be condoned”, he concluded.
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