Nigerian Political Parties Ask President Buhari, Buratai, NBC Director-General To Resign Over Lekki Massacre

 

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, the umbrella association of all registered political parties and political associations in the country, has called for the immediate resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari, Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, and Director-General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, Prof Armstrong Idachaba, over their roles in the October 20, 2020 Lekki massacre.

The group urged the International Criminal Court to investigate, arrest and prosecute Buhari, Buratai, Idachaba and others for crimes against humanity.

Chief Willy Ezugwu, Secretary-General of CNPP, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday while reacting to CNN's investigative report that indicted the Nigerian Army in the Lekki massacre.

The statement reads, “Nigerian democracy is in danger as the voice of opposition is being silenced by the Federal Government of Nigeria, using all arms of government and instrumentalities of the office of the executive to shut the voices of oppressed citizens.

“It is now obvious that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration deliberately engaged the Director-General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission to intimidate, harass and stampede Nigerian broadcast media houses in a bid to cover up the Lekki massacre by slamming unjustifiable N3m fine on three television stations over reports on the killings.

“As if the killings by the Nigeria Police, through its Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit were not enough, President Muhammadu Buhari as the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces authorised the use of maximum force to disperse unarmed citizens protesting against bad leadership and extrajudicial killings in the country.

“It is a shame that Nigerian Government and Nigerian Army have no respect for our national flag and anthem.

“The outcome of the CNN investigation now raises strong doubts on the loyalty or allegiance of the Nigerian security agencies to the Nigerian nation.

“Sovereignty belongs to the people and if the people for whom Nigerian President holds power in trust are now murdered in cold blood by their employees paid through their taxes, there is danger ahead for our democracy.

“To save Nigerian democracy, and all democracies in Africa, the International Criminal Court of Justice must now unmask all the state and non-state actors involved in the killing of Nigerian patriots at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos.

“The CNN was very conclusive when it noted on its website that ‘the Nigerian Army has called allegations that it fired into the crowd “fake news” and told a judicial panel of inquiry that it did not shoot at any civilian but a new CNN investigation can reveal this is not true’.

“In view of the new CNN’s insights into the Lekki massacre perpetrated by agents of the state on orders of the authorities of the Nigerian state, we demand the immediate resignation of their Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, and the Director-General of the NBC, Prof Armstrong Aduku Idachaba, for their anti-people roles in the killings and the attempts to cover up the massacre of unarmed Nigerian people at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on October 2020.

“If the Manuel Merino, President of Peru, resigned following the death of two protesters, it is time for President Buhari to resign if he still has any integrity left.”