₦airaland Forum

Lai Mohammed, You're A Total Failure, Whatever You Say Is Considered A Lie —APC Spokesman, Nabena

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Yekini Nabena, has said the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, is the biggest problem of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mohammed had also said he would not dignify Nabena with a response over his comment on the APC registration and revalidation in Kwara State.

The minister, who hails from Kwara, had demanded the immediate cancellation of the ongoing membership registration and validation in Kwara for non-compliance with the guidelines and regulations laid down by the party.

The APC deputy spokesman had, however, berated the minister over the demand and advised him to submit to the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to allow peace to reign in the state APC.

In a statement on Wednesday titled, “Nabena to Lai Mohammed: Time has left you in darkness and can’t catch up,” the APC deputy national publicity secretary described Mohammed as a “total failure”.

Nabena also said that time had left the minister behind in the scheme of things in the APC, adding that he (Mohammed) could no longer catch up with time unless he worked with his state governor, AbdulRazaq.

Nabena said, “Lai Mohammed should go back to his state chapter (Kwara) if he is still relevant there and work with the governor and other stakeholders for his voice to be heard at the national level.

“Lai Mohammed and his gang are calling for the cancellation of the registration exercise for their selfish interest."

He added that “the details of evil plans to destroy the APC by the likes of the minister has been exposed and the party leadership is fully aware."

“At the right time, Lai Mohammed and his gang will be exposed and Nigerians will then know the real impostor that time is sooner.

“Time has left Lai Mohammed behind and he can’t catch up with time.

“Lai Mohammed and his fifth columnists are the biggest problems of this administration. As the Minister of Information and Culture that is supposed to explain the policies and programmes, including the remarkable achievements of this administration to Nigerians, Lai Mohammed has failed woefully. Whatever he says is considered a lie. If not, Lai should tell Nigerians what has been his contributions in the last five years,” Nabena said.

The APC nationwide registration and revalidation exercise starting with the President has been criticised by some chieftains of the party, including the pioneer Interim APC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande.

Earlier on Tuesday, the minister had said he would not dignify anybody claiming to be the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC a response because such post did not exist.

Mohammed had said, “My attention has been drawn to the statement credited to one Yekini Nabena, who was described as the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on the ongoing APC Membership Registration in Kwara State.

“The said Nabena must have been speaking for himself, as the APC National Caretaker Committee, as presently constituted, has no position like that of Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

“As things stand, therefore, anyone claiming to be the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC is an impostor, hence I will not dignify such a pretender with a response.”

Nabena had also earlier berated Lai Mohammed over his demand for the cancellation of the ongoing membership registration and validation exercise in Kwara State.

He had advised the minister to put himself in the position of Governor AbdulRasaq and submit to his leadership in the party in Kwara.

Since the third week of January, the crisis in Kwara APC has pitched the governor against Lai Mohammed following which the APC leadership removed Bashir Bolarinwa as the caretaker chairman of the party in the state.

The protracted crisis broke the party into factions with the governor and Mohammed in a struggle to control the party.

Mr Bolarinwa, who is loyal to the minister, was removed by the Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni-led national caretaker committee of the party and replaced with Abdullahi Samari.

While the faction loyal to the governor swiftly lauded the development, party members on the side of Mr Mohammed see the hand of the governor in it and have been made even angrier.

The state’s lawmakers, however, endorsed the removal of Mr Bolarinwa and decried his public criticism of the state government.

Since APC regained control of Kwara following a sweeping victory in the 2019 general elections in the state, the party has been in crisis.

The kidnap students of Government Science Secondary School, Kagara (Niger State) has pushed some Senators into uncontrollable anger against the Nigerian Government.

Senators Mohammed Enagi (APC-Niger South), Sani Musa (APC-Niger East), and Aliu Sabi Aliu (APC-Niger North) described as unacceptable, the worsening state of insecurity in Niger State and Nigeria in general.

In a brief debate on a motion sponsored by Senator Musa, the lawmakers expressed worries that the state had become unsafe for education, agriculture, and other socio-economic engagements.

Musa in defending his motion, informed his colleagues that the number of students in that school was more than 1000 adding that the actual number of those kidnapped was yet to be known.

But a spokesman for Niger State Muhammad Sani Idris said about 650 students were in the school when it was attacked.

Before the debate began, the Senate leadership had warned lawmakers against resorting to politics and political gimmicks during deliberations.

Consequently, all lawmakers who participated in the debate were from the APC as none from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spoke.

Use of hostile words and languages got to its peak when Senator Enagi lamented that none of the resolutions that had been adopted by Senate and sent to President Muhammadu Buhari was executed.

According to him, the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is grossly incompetent.

The visibly angry lawmaker further noted that the government had been evasive on issues that ought to be given attention.

Enagi observed that it was unfortunate that the Federal Government was too incompetent to handle in such a way as to guarantee full employment for the nation’s teeming youths.

Enagi suggested the amendment of laws that would allow governors who are chief security officers of their respective states to take charge, insisting that the government at the centre has failed woefully.

He added that citizens might need to be allowed to bear arms through the amendment of laws if the situation persists.

“I’m sorry to say this, the government is grossly incompetent in the handling of security challenges in this country,” Enagi said.

“In my own zone, few days ago, terrorists went to two local governments, but fortunately, my people were able to repel and killed 9 of them and in short everybody that is here has a story to tell about security challenges in this country.

“What else are we supposed to do that we are not doing? Are supposed to amend laws in this country to give every citizen the opportunity to carry arms? What else are supposed to do?

“Shouldn’t we amend Nigeria Constitution to give more powers to the governors who are the Chief Security Officers of their various States because, our government at the centre is so incompetent in the handling of security issues.” Enagi queried.

According to the senator, the situation with the parents of the kidnapped students is best imagined “if it is one of us that his or her daughter and son were kidnapped. I expect everyone in government to think like that.”

He lamented that “For over two years, our Police and other security agents have been trying and for over two years, we discuss security challenges that we are facing, yet nothing has improved.

“We have a lot of youths who are undergraduates that are not employed or under-employed. What are we doing, the government is busy distributing palliative instead of creating economic activities that will engage the unemployed that will generate employment; that will improve the welfare of our people.

“Mr. President, my highly respected distinguished colleagues, the situation in this country is disheartening and something need to be done.” Enagi submitted.

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, halted the debate after Enagi declaring that the kidnap of the students was unfortunate.

Lawan said the security agencies had challenges with personnel and funds.

“Abduction of students from school happen in the northern part of Nigeria,” the senate president said, adding that”With incidences like this, parents would be scared to take their wards to school and the efforts of the past as present leaders at providing education would be defeated.”

Also, Senator Aliu, expressed dissatisfaction that the Federal Government has been unable to ensure the release of some 57 travellers kidnapped last Sunday within Niger State.

He called for more decisive action from security agencies to get the kidnapped persons released.

Sabi cautioned Federal Government to take extraordinary measures to halt the spate of insecurity which he feared could spread to the Federal Capital Territory.

The Senate urged the President to as a matter of urgency declare the state of emergency on insecurity in Nigeria.

It also urged Buhari to consider and implement “the recommendations of the Senate ad-Hoc Committee on Nigeria’s Security Challenges dated March 17, 2020 and Senate Resolutions therefrom, as a holistic response to the mounting security challenges across the country”

The Senate sought a massive and combined operation to identify and destroy the camps and hideouts of these criminals wherever they may be situated.