Kigsley Moghalu says Buhari’s support for Pantami undermines Nigeria’s war on terrorism

A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Presidential aspirant, Kingsley Moghalu has joined the number of Nigerians condemning the position of the Nigerian presidency on the extremist views of Isa Pantami, the country’s communications minister.

Dr Isa Pantami has recently made headlines for his radical preachings and his support for terrorist groups, with Nigerians calling for his resignation or removal.

President Buhari, despite an outcry from Nigerians, via his spokesman Garba Shehu, declared his support for the minister, saying “the Minister has, rightly, apologised for what he said in the early 2000s. The views were absolutely unacceptable then, and would be equally unacceptable today, were he to repeat them.”

Reacting to the president’s position, Mr Moghalu, in a twitter thread on Saturday said it undermines Nigeria’s struggle against terrorism, a major challenge across the country.

“I have refrained so far from commenting on the #Pantami controversy,” Mr Moghalu said, explaining that “From information available: anyone can a mistake, and has the right to recant from it. But when the evidence shows that a serving minister of Nigeria has expressed open support for global terrorist groups, he should never have scaled the vetting process and been approved for that office.” he wrote.

Read the full thread below:

Meanwhile, Presidential aide, Garba Shehu, on Friday night told Channels TV that Mr Pantami’s crime of showing sympathy for terrorist groups is a lesser crime than that of former finance minister, Kemi Adeosun who forged her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.