Nigerians on social media have insisted that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, should be removed over some controversial comments he made in the past in support of global terrorist groups, Al-Qaeda and Taliban.
Though the minister had renounced the past controversial comments on terrorist groups, saying that he was young when he made the radical comments and he is now mature and now knows better, Nigerians reiterated their position that Pantami must resign.
Some of them also called for the prosecution of the minister, insisting that he should be jailed if found guilty.
As of 12.34pm on Sunday, #PantamiResignNow is trending as number one on Twitter.
Pantami has been under fire lately over comments he allegedly made several years ago in support of Al-Qaeda – an extremist group founded by the late Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. Bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011, by the US Navy SEALs inside a private residential compound in Pakistan.
Pantami also made comments in support of Taliban, a Sunni Islamist movement and military organisation in Afghanistan currently waging jihad within the country.
Some of the tweets read:
Ayo Sogunro said, Now that Isa Pantami has renounced his extremist ideology, he should do the right thing and resign from office.
If he truly wants to make up for his past, he should continue the work of engaging and de-radicalising young jihadis, not handle national affairs. #PantamiResignNow
@OnyedikaAnambra tweeted, “Kemi Adeosun resigned over forgery.
“Stella Oduah resigned over corruption allegations.
“Everyone condemned them and non asked for forgiveness to continue as a minister.
Pantami ‘s case won’t be different.
A supporter of Taliban and al-quaeda.
#PantamiResignNow
@FS_Yusuf_ said, “Age has everything to do with radicalism. We’ve seen old and young turn suicide bombers. Pantami saying he was young when he held those terroristic ideologies isn’t any excuse at all.
“#PantamiResignNow, begin evangelism of deradicalisation. He has no business handling public affairs.”
@funshographix said, “Those who starts the trend of #PantamiWillStay, says we’re hating Isa Pantami because he’s a Muslim. He just admitted that he was not mature when he supports Taliban and al-Qaeda. In a sane country, he would have been sacked and jailed by now instead of saying #PantamiResignNow.”
@ayemojubar tweeted Today is 18th of April, 2021 and Isa Pantami, Al-Qaeda sympathizer and Osama Bin Laden’s supporter is still the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
#PantamiResignNow
