PDP , APC continue battle over SSS DG

•Pictures not enough proof —APC •Provide his membership card —Presidency •Avoid Libyan, Zimbabwean situations, PDP warns Buhari

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, continued the battle over the alleged appointment of a “member” of APC, Lawal Daura, to head the Department of State Security (DSS).

The PDP, two days ago, fired the first salvo, accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of appointing Daura, who, it alleged, was a member of the security committee of the APC presidential campaign, as DSS boss.

The APC, through its spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, reacted quickly, denying the allegation and asking the PDP to provide proofs.

Meanwhile, the PDP has provided what it said was its evidence of Daura’s membership of APC.

The acting national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, had, on Wednesday, alleged that Daura served as the director of intelligence of the APC presidential campaign organisation and ought not to have been appointed into his present position because of the likelihood of political bias in the execution of his mandate.

On Thursday, he went further to present an apparent old newspaper advertisement, which listed one Lawal Daura as a member of the APC Security Directorate and one photograph, which looked like the image of Daura, in a handshake with Buhari.

The captions of the pictures suggested that Buhari, then president-elect, was being congratulated by Daura on his election.

The PDP provided another photograph which it said was a group picture of members of the APC Security Directorate flanking Buhari, but there was no indication of when the picture was taken.

The APC, on Thursday, however, denied the allegation that Daura was a card-carrying member of the party.

The party, in its statement before the PDP released its evidence, said PDP should publish any evidence it might have to confirm the allegation and in the absence of that, publicly apologise to all Nigerians for making such allegation.

“We know that the party has been badly affected by its loss of power at the centre. Even the party itself has admitted that much,” the APC said.

It said it had warned the PDP earlier that being in opposition was not a walk in the park.

The statement urged the PDP to spend more time putting its house together, rather than acting as a clog in the wheel of progress of the new administration.

Alhaji Mohammed further added in a telephone interview that the only conclusive evidence of party membership was possession of a membership card and evidence of name on a register at the ward level.

“If the PDP cannot provide that, it is futile. A picture is not a conclusive evidence,” he stated.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, also challenged the PDP to produce Daura’s APC membership card if the opposition party believed he is a card-carrying member of the ruling party.

He conceded that the DSS boss was invited to protect Buhari during the campaign because of Daura’s security background, noting that it did not necessarily mean he was a party member.

“They said he is a card-carrying member of the party. Then they should produce party register. As a technical person, somebody can be invited to help the party.

“If they didn’t secure Buhari, are we going to have Buhari today as president?

“They say he is a card-carrying member. Where is the card? That’s the issue. They shouldn’t dance around the issue. They are just dancing around the issue. In which ward did you register him?”

The presidential spokesman added: “Security is a specialised line of duty. If you don’t have that kind of background, you cannot secure somebody. Because the party has found you fit to be member of the security committee does not automatically translate into you being a card-carrying member.”

On PDP’s claim that Daura was a relation of the president and could, therefore, be biased against the opposition in the discharge of his duty, Shehu demanded: “Let them bring the parts of the constitution which disqualifies him from the duty. Which law? Is it the law establishing the SSS?”

He assured that President Buhari had sworn to be fair and just, saying that he would fulfill this pledge.

Meanwhile, the PDP has admonished President Buhari not to succumb to the temptation of filling every available position with people who share close affinity with him.

According to the national publicity secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, who spoke to journalists at the party's national secretariat, Abuja, on Thursday, he said the president needs to adhere to universal conventions and democratic principles or risk plunging the country into Libyan and Zimbabwean situations.

He observed that those African countries descended into dictatorship because their leaders focused on family members in appointment into government positions and consequently became vicious on their citizens.

Rejecting the denial of APC spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that Daura was a member of the security committee of the APC presidential campaign, Metuh observed that some sensitive positions required the appointment of independent persons as heads.

“The president is at liberty to appoint anybody into any office using his discretion. He is the president of Nigeria. He can as well appoint his relation to NNPC, NIMASA, NPA or any other ministry that he deems fit.

“There are sensitive positions that, by their very nature, require people who are independent. People who are qualified but not tied to him by any nexus or affinity.

“We insist that the president in making those appointments should abide by universal conventions and democratic tenets and principles, where you have to respect, by separating yourself from those issues that affect the country.

“These issues are two for instance: On the matter of the electoral body, it should be seen to be independent. It shouldn’t have anything to do with you.

“The same thing with security issue. The sentiment and the emotions the relation will apply to the execution of security matter would be be-clouded by his sentiments and emotions.

“This is exactly what has happened in Zimbabwe, this is what was obtainable in Libya, where relatives of the President Muammar Ghadaffi was appointed as Chief of Army staff or head of security. So, they visited the people with unknown viciousness not seen. It should not happen in this country,” he said.

The opposition party spokesman noted that it stood by his position enunciated by its acting national chairman that both the acting DSS boss and the acting chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs Amina Zakari, were related to President Buhari.