The party also berated the Nigerian leader for remaining adamant on hunting down Igbo youths calling for Biafra nation.
The African Action Congress (AAC) has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s position that youths are the cause of the aggravating security crises in the country.
The party also berated the Nigerian leader for remaining adamant on hunting down Igbo youths calling for Biafra nation.
In a statement titled: ‘AriseTV interview: President Buhari adamant on his genocidal stance on IPOB, threat to EndSARS Protesters shameful’, made available to SaharaReporters, AAC lamented how Buhari shifted the blame of insecurity and economic woes on Nigerian youths for protesting during #EndSARS.
The party said Buhari acts as if he has grudge with Nigerians.
“The African Action Congress (AAC) expresses dissatisfaction over the recorded interview with President Buhari, which was aired by Arise TV on Thursday, 10th June 2021.
“It is first of all embarrassing that the President poses as someone 'keeping malice' with Nigerians- choosing when and how convenient to speak, even when the whole country is on fire,” the statement partly read.
The party went further to rebuke the former military Head of State for blatantly displaying traits of his military regime, laden with oppressive and autocratic decrees. It, therefore, reiterated that Nigerians should rise to defend their rights.
“Another shock is how, instead of reeling out his 'achievements' over the last 6 years, the President sounded like an opposition leader. But for a closer look and the distinction of voice, one would have thought it was a member of the civil society or the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) being interviewed. The President in his usual style blamed everyone but himself.
“May we remind the President that the youths he blamed for insecurity that has reached the highest crescendo, are not the ones who are constitutionally in charge of the military and the police.
“Talking about infrastructure, may we also remind the President that the youths are not the ones who took loans to the tune of trillions of naira with the promise that infrastructure would be fixed. The statements of the President confirmed the suspicion in many quarters that he is not conscious of the happenings in his immediate environment and his administration, except what he is told.
“Away from the hypocritical guilt-tripping of President Buhari, monitoring this recorded interview, we realised that the old General has not reneged on his jackboot absolutist style. Despite popular calls by well-meaning and peace-loving Nigerians all over the world for civil engagement with the legitimate concerns of different sections of the population, he prefers the use of brute force.
“Much to our chagrin is the fact that the threat of the President, is against all forms of critical views. IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) and other secessionist groups, as well as young people whom he called 'EndSARS protesters', are portrayed as insurrectionists seeking to remove him from power.
“The retired General said point-blank that he is 'coming for them'. We maintain that these statements are far from anything presidential or democratic. We describe them as genocidal threats and condemn these vehemently.
“The AAC uses this medium to remind Nigerians that there is no later time to fight for liberation as it is crystal clear that only the unity of the oppressed across all regions can free the people from the ruling class that Buhari represents,” the statement added.