THE National Coalition of Democrats, NCD, Jos has alleged that Bola Tinubu, a national leader of All Progressives Congress, Bisi Akande, a former leader of the APC, Femi Falana, SAN, and others of leading a cabal to raise the alarm over the health of President Muhammadu Buhari in order to control federal government. The NCD, which addressed a press conference on Tuesday, May 2, alleged that some self acclaimed political gladiators were only trying to make an issue out the president’s health in order to reinvent their fledgling political stature.

The press statement signed by Melvin Ejeh, executive director, Global Peace and Life Rescue Initiative, GOPRI and chairman of the coalition, and Charles Okoroji, secretary-general of the coalition, recalled how Buhari had taken a medical leave, which he properly communicated to the National Assembly. And that on his return to the country disclosed that he would need more medical attention.

The coalition said in its statement: “In recent days, we have seen a cabal go to work. Members of this cabal had been secretive hitherto but they have developed a measure of boldness since Mr President took out time to rest in the last couple of weeks. The dangerous thing about this cabal is its ethnic tilt and composition which points to something dangerous for the country.

“Since the leader of the cabal, whom we have since been able to gather is, former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu reportedly gave the go ahead for open attack on President Buhari, his foot soldiers have been hard at work. In a curious but saddening case of deception, they are hiding their agenda behind the façade of national interest.

“The grand plan that is being implement was flagged off by the media arm of the cabal, Sahara Reporters, which ran a so called exclusive to paint a picture of an invalid president contrary to the assurances given by the President including the one by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed who confirmed that President Buhari is able to attend to official memos from the Presidential residence. We all know how Sahara Reporters has been at the forefront of demonising President Buhari since his anti-corruption stance blocked the diversion of government funds into its publisher’s pockets.”

It said all the false reports about Buhari’s health which aimed at causing maximum damages were being published Sahara Reporters with damaging information to further heighten apprehension about the president’s health. “The categories of information agreed at a meeting some few days ago included any document that can be interpreted to imply a deteriorating health condition of the Commander-in-Chief, pictures and videos of Mr President convalescing. Additional mandate given to Sahara Reporters publisher is to procure the services of a company that does special video effects to doctor any supplied video with the aim of painting a picture of hopelessness,” the statement said further.

Besides, the coalition alleged: “A point man for the self appointed All Progressives Congress, APC, leader and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has already led a handful of other commissioned SANs to heighten concern over President Buhari’s health. The brief of these lawyers, as we have learnt, is in addition to heating up the polity with their utterances to contrive a phantom constitutional impasse that politicians waiting in the wing will latch on to make trouble.

“CSOs have similarly been recruited to mobilise unwary Nigerians for an evil plot. Compromised leaders in this sector have issued a statement to cause panic. Those that signed this are Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, Debo Adeniran, Chris Kwaja, Y. Z. Ya’u, Chom Bagu, and Olanrewaju Suraju, Ezenwa Nwagwu, Anwal Musa Rafsanjani, David Ugolor, ‘Sina Odugbemi, Muhammed Attah, and Adetokunbo Mumuni. These are individuals that Nigerians that love the country must keep under watch in the coming days. Their brief involves orchestrating protests to pile further pressure on President Buhari.

“The comments credited to Bisi Akande, a former APC chairman, while presented as the intervention of an elder statesman are in reality the position jointly adopted by a meeting of the cabal that is trying to unseat the president for their clansman.

“We, therefore, want to put Nigerians on notice that none of the many utterances and statements being issued around President Buhari’s health are being done with good intentions. Those carrying this (sic) stories are rather doing so in desperate bids to turn Nigerians against their president.

“We warn the cabal in the strongest terms possible that we will do all that is permissible within the law to resist their attempt at power grab while hiding under the pretext of Mr President’s health challenges.

“We urge President Buhari not allow the antics of this cabal to stampede him into cutting short his recuperation time. No one is God and health challenges occur to mortals and is not by choice.”

—  May 2, 2017 @ 18:40 GMT