PDP asks Buhari to fire Pantami

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, over his past comments on Al Qaeda and Taliban.

The minister has been under fire over the comments which were interpreted as endorsing the extremist sects.

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During his daily Ramadan lecture at Al Noor Mosque, Abuja, on Saturday, the minister renounced his controversial comments, saying his views on the groups have changed.

“Some of the comments I made some years ago that are generating controversies now were based on my understanding of religious issues at the time, and I have changed several positions taken in the past based on new evidence and maturity,” he had said.

However, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) believes that despite Pantami’s change of views about the extremist group, he cannot be trusted with the country’s sensitive information and data available to him.

“Our party’s position is predicated on the heightening concerns in the public space and in the international arena of possible compromises by the communication minister, who has access to sensitive government documents and information, in addition to data of all individuals including high profile personalities in the public and private sectors as well as the traditional and faith-based circles,” the PDP said in the statement signed by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan.

Aside the PDP, some other people have called on the minister to resign but Pantami has said those pushing for his removal are political foes and those opposed to the government’s policy of mandatory registration of the National Identity Number (NIN).