A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi State, Alhaji Kabiru Tukura, has urged the party to identify and expel fifth columnists and subversive elements in the Federal Government.
Addressing State House correspondents at the weekend, he said it was a task that must be accomplished ahead of the 2019 general election.
Tukura, also a House of Representatives aspirant to represent Zuru, Danko/Wasagu, Sakaba and Fakai local governments, was reacting to political developments across the country, including the sacking of Lawal Daura, former director-general of the Department State Services (DSS).
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on August 7 sacked Daura with immediate effect, over last Tuesday’s invasion of the premises of the National Assembly by security operatives.
The interim report on the invasion submitted by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Idris Ibrahim, to the presidency last week, indicted Daura.
Tukura, who hailed Osinbajo for the sacking of Daura, however, enjoined President Muhammadu Buhari to identify and expose the fifth columnists, to protect himself from subversive elements.
He dismissed the assertion in some quarters that the invasion of the National Assembly by the DSS operatives was meant to ensure the impeachment of principal officers of the Senate.
Tukura said: “That thing happened as a shield for the PDP senators. No single APC senator or member of House of Representatives was at the National Assembly on that day.
“If there was a plot to impeach the Senate president, where would it have been? On the floor of the Senate with no single APC senator and PDP senators were on ground as early as 7am while the Senate was on recess.
“So, I wonder what they were doing there. It tells you it is a PDP arrangement and that was what led to what happened.
“His (Daura’s) sack is a lesson and will act as a deterrent to others.
“If there was a plot to impeach the Senate president, it was intended to paint the government in bad light, which was why they started twitting, making noise, telling embassies that Buhari is threatening Nigeria’s democracy.
“So the Federal Government is on track, they have done everything a sensible government needs to do and going forward, they should be strict with who they give appointments.”