Media reports stated that Governors Issa Moussa of Zinder and Zakiri Umar of Maradi both from Niger were guests at Thursdays presidential rally.

According to Daily Post, SMBLF accused the ruling APC of exposing the country to security risks in the name of politics.

The group, in a joint statement signed by: Yinka Odumakin, South West; Prof Chigozie Ogbu, South East; Senator Bassey Henshaw, South-South; and Dr Isuwa Dogo, Middle Belt, called on security agencies to investigate the matter.

The statement reads: “This is an affront to our national sovereignty and a gross abuse of diplomatic relations.

“For an administration which recently lampooned Western diplomatic powers and bodies for criticizing the unconstitutional purported suspension of the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen from office, this is the height of duplicity and doublespeak.

“Never in our political history has our national security been so endangered in the name of politics and politicking, a situation which calls for immediate investigation by relevant security agencies. The National Intelligence Agency, NIA; the Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA and the Department of State Services, DSS, must move to interrogate this development and report their findings to us Nigerians whose best interests they swore to serve.

“In a country which has been in the vice grip of accentuated terrorism, herdsmen killings, banditry and kidnapping in parts of the country especially since the advent of the Buhari administration, the kind of unholy philandering between Buhari and foreign interests from regional neighbours suspected of complicity in our internal security challenges, calls for introspection and inquest.

“Only last year, President Buhari prioritized the construction of a rail line from Kano to Maradi in Niger, at a time several aspects of our national infrastructure were and are still begging for attention. Maradi, the third largest city in Niger Republic and Zinder, are two prefectures in the country which are predominantly populated by Fulanis with consanguineal relationship with Daura emirate, Buhari’s birthplace.

“As military head of state in 1985, Buhari purportedly favoured Ide Oumarou, a diplomat from Niger, over and above Nigeria’s own Peter Onu, in the race for the position of Secretary-General of the African Union, AU, to underscore his consanguineous relationship and sentiments with and for the Nigerien Oumarou.

“We recall that during the 2015 general elections, there were reports of thousands of people, many of whom were underaged voters, crossing from Niger Republic, into Kano through our extremely porous borders to vote in Nigeria’s elections for a particular candidate. Unfortunately, the illegality was acquiesced to by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

“In recent weeks, there have been recent reports of seamless human movements between our national neighbours, notably Chad and Niger, into parts of Nigeria of people in open top vehicles, to different parts of the country.

“The SMBLF calls for increased vigilance amongst all Nigerians, as we approach the critical last two weeks to the presidential election and draws the attention of the international community to the impairment of our territorial integrity and fragile national security, by the uncanny desperation of the Buhari-led APC to undermine the electoral process, even at the risk of exacerbating our already simmering political situation.

“Nigerians must collectively resist any plot to further imperil and destabilize the polity in a desperate bid by some to win the forthcoming election at all costs and by all means possible.”

PDP alleges use of mercenaries

In a related development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also accused the APC of bringing in mercenaries from Niger Republic to cause violence if President Buhari loses the elections.

The party called on the presidency to explain what the two Nigerien Governors came to do in Kano state.

PDP also accused the Buhari led administration of compromising Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

APC fires back

Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu has however dismissed PDP’s claims, saying that African politicians are interested in understudying Buhari.

According to Shehu, the ‘Buhari phenomenon’ is being celebrated across the continent, adding that candidates running for political office want to be associated with the President.

The Presidential spokesman said the PDP is jealous because nobody from outside Nigeria is interested in understudying the party.