Politics
Pantami: We cannot allow terrorism sympathisers be ministers – Aisha Yesufu
Nigerian activist, Aisha Yesufu, Friday, has joined voices calling for the sack of Minister of Communication and Digital economy, Dr Isa Pantami over his pro-terrorism statements.
She also condemned the presidency for defending the Minister.
Speaking in a video shared on her Twitter account, Mrs Yesufu said the presidency is an institution, not Garba Shehu or President Muhammadu Buhari and this institution should not be seen supporting a terrorism sympathiser.
“The presidency is not Garba Shehu, the presidency is not even Muhammadu Buhari. The presidency is an institution and that institution must not be seen in any way whatsoever supporting someone who is known to be a terrorist sympathiser,” Mrs Yesufu said.
“We can not be a nation and allow people who support terrorism to be out there in our public domain as public servants.
“We cannot have a minister of a sector that is so sensitive and everything under that sector is with a terrorist sympathiser. Whether he has been or has repented is not an issue, the issue is that our presidency which is an institution must not be seen in any way supporting a terrorist sympathiser.”
Yesufu also tackled the presidency’s claim that Pantami was in his teenage years when he made those statements.
She said he only apologised because he has been found out.
“You cannot tell me that Pantami was a child when he made those statements. He wasn’t a teenager when he made those statements, he was not a young adult, he was a fully-fledged adult and he knew what he was doing,” she added.
“But today he has been found out and he knew what he was doing by apologising.”
The presidency on Thursday released a statement defending the embattled Pantami amid public backlash for past controversial preachings that linked him to terror groups and a letter that alleged he was part of an assassination plot.
In a press statement signed by the senior special assistant to the president on Media, Garba Shehu, the Presidency said Pantami is currently subject to a “cancel campaign instigated by those who seek his removal.”
The Presidency also defended his extremist views and comments by saying the Minister made them a long time ago and he has apologised.
Despite the statement, there are still overwhelming calls for the minister to resign or be sacked.
Taking to their social media accounts, they expressed their disappointment with the presidency’s excuse of the minister being the victim of a cancel campaign and the wrong claim that the minister, 48, was in his twenties in the 2000s.
They likened the presidency’s explanations as being tenable for terror group leader, Shekau and worried that he may also hold government positions rather than face criminal charges if he apologises for his actions.
