The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the recent mass killings in Katsina and Zamfara states, calling on President Bola Tinubu to declare an immediate state of emergency in the two states.
In a press statement on Sunday, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described the violence as proof of a “total collapse” of Nigeria’s security architecture.
Abdullahi cited the massacre in Malumfashi, Katsina State, where it said dozens of worshippers and villagers were killed.
He linked this incident to a series of attacks in Katsina and Zamfara that have allegedly resulted in over 140 deaths in the past two months.
Abdullahi criticised Tinubu for “jet-setting across the world” while Nigerians are being killed, urging him to prioritise national security over foreign diplomacy.
He also noted the President’s perceived silence on the tragedies, stating that he had not made a direct statement of condolence to the victims’ families.
Furthermore, Abdullahi condemned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors for holding a political meeting in Zamfara just days after the killings.
He called the meeting “insensitive” in light of the ongoing bloodshed in the state.
Abdullahi also referenced a recent call by the Chief of Defence Staff for citizens to learn self-defence, which he described as “the most honest indicator yet” of the need to re-evaluate the country’s entire internal defence system.
He urged the government to undertake a total reassessment of its security architecture to better protect the lives and properties of its citizens.
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According to Abdullahi, ADC condemned the decision of PDP Governors to hold their political meeting in Zamfara on Saturday, a few days after scores of innocent citizens were slaughtered in that same state.
“Instead of the governors rallying around their beleaguered colleague to help stop the orgy of killings, they chose to stage a political rally at the scene of mass murder, even if it meant trampling on the memory of the victims.
The photos of PDP Governors in full ceremonial robes, grinning for the camera, are totally out of place in an environment that still reeks of so much blood and sorrow.
“This act alone further underlines an important fact: neither the ruling APC nor the incurably afflicted PDP cares about the people and their suffering. They only care about power and politics”, he said.
