The Social Democratic Party (SDP) called on the Federal Government to focus more on securing the lives of all Nigerians, whether they are Christians, Muslims or traditional worhipers, rather than ‘explaining away the creeds of the massive victims of insecurity across the nation’.
Expressing concern about what it described as the ‘discomfiting development and discourses that bother on seeming threats to the sovereignty of the country’, the party noted with deep worry the ‘undeniable underwhelming performance of the nation’s security architecture, particularly with regard to our inability to contain or eliminate the atrocious activities of insurgents and bandits from our territory, that have plagued our land for close to two decades, has become a major subject of international concern’.
The statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba reminded the current administration that ‘every government owes a duty to protect the lives and property under the preamble, Chapter II and Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Successive governments have been in breach of this fundamental obligation for decades’.
The party further said: ‘To the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the life of every Nigerian, which is being daily lost to unabating banditry, is more important than the unimportant narrative of their religious persuasion which appears to be the case’.
It frowned at the designation of Nigeria as a “County of Particular Concern” by the United States administration of Donald Trump, saying the action violates the United Nations Charter which prescribes that the internal affairs of every country is outside the purview of intervention of another.
‘The SDP is therefore not in support of those fellows who appear to be promoting the violation of our sovereignty through some forms of external aggression on account of Nigeria being listed as a “County of Particular Concern” by the Trump administration in the United States of America.
Aiyenigba further said: ‘The party strongly stands in defence of the domestic, external, westphalian, and legal (de jure) sovereignty of the Nigerian state and will continue to work to preserve our national autonomy.
‘Diplomacy should be adopted by the use of exchange of ideas rather than an exchange of words. If the United States is that concerned about the insecurity and killings in Nigeria, it should offer concrete military support and intelligence collaboration to Nigeria like it is doing to its other allies including Isreal, Egypt, Pakistan and others.
‘President Trump or any other foreign powers can not love Nigeria more than Nigerians love themselves. The government and the citizens of Nigeria must rally round to solve the insecurity problems.
‘Importantly, President Trump must not invade or incurse into the territory of Nigeria under any guise as the history of the United States invasions has never been without unintended consequences in sorrow, tears and blood for the citizens of those countries: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria etc, often without solving the advertised intended purposes.
‘Mindful that the primary purpose and duty of government is the security and welfare of the people, which means that the lives, liberty, and property of citizens are the reason of having a government in whose hands lie the destiny of the nation, the SDP calls on President (Bola) Tinubu to scale up efforts at delivering in more practical terms, on his responsibility as the Commander-in-Chief.
‘The task of securing the lives of Nigerians irrespective of their religions and tribes is more important than considerations for the 2027 general election. He therefore needs to prioritise national security and the betterment of the lives of Nigerians in the remainder of his mandate.
‘The Social Democratic Party (SDP) will continue to promote the true of Nigeria; work towards making life truly meaningful for the people, and remain the credible alternative political party for national redemption.
‘Intertwined issues of bidding farewell to poverty must not continue to be neglected in our quest to get rid of insecurity as there is no way to defeat insecurity while exercerbating poverty by the promotion of anti people policies of the Tinubu administration that are making daily survival an excruciating ordeal for the ordinary Nigerians’.
