By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to end his “private visit” abroad and immediately return home to face the deteriorating security situation in the country.
The opposition party said it was unacceptable for “President Buhari to
practically abandon his responsibilities, as the Commander-in-Chief, at
least for now, to pursue unexplained private matters in foreign lands,
while bandits, marauders and insurgents seize our nation; maim, kidnap
and kill our citizens with reckless abandon.”
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, which was made available to TheNiche said “President Buhari’s inattention has emboldened insurgents and bandits to continue to over-run communities, unleash mayhem and bloodletting on
citizens in Borno, Zamfara, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe Taraba, Kaduna, Benue, Kogi and other states of the federation, including Mr. President’s home state, Katsina.”
The statement further stated:
“While President Buhari wanders abroad, bandits are having a field day,
pillaging communities in Katsina State; killing several persons and
abducting the District Head of his hometown, Daura, Musa Umar; the
father in-law of Mr. President’s security aide.
“Within this period, marauders invaded communities in Adamawa and killed no fewer that 26 innocent Nigerians; many more have been killed in
Borno, Taraba, Benue and Zamfara states, where bandits also reportedly
attacked Government Girls Secondary School Moriki, and kidnapped some
school girls.
“While the Buhari administration remains virtually nonchalant, kidnappers have taken over many of our major highways, with hundreds of compatriots held in captivity in forests along Kaduna-Abuja, Taraba-Katsina-Ala and other highways in the country.
“It is clear that President Buhari has not demonstrated required capacity
to control the security situation and now resorts to cheap escapism,
particularly in the face of allegations in the public space that certain
individuals around his administration are benefitting from the
situation.
“This is in addition to allegations that some of the bandits arrested, in
states such as Katsina, are not Nigerians but aliens allegedly imported
by the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Niger Republic to assist it
in unleashing violence and rigging the 2019 general elections.”
The PDP which urged the police to investigate the allegation further said, “The fact remains that President Buhari has completely failed our nation.
In fact, his dereliction to duty is a clear signal that he has been practically overwhelmed, deflated and has nothing to offer.
“The situation in Nigeria today signposts the terrible condition our
nation will face if the presidential mandate is not retrieved at the
tribunal to enable competent and uncompromised hands to run the affairs
of our country.”
The opposition party said in the face of the huge security challenges, it was imperative that President Buhari returns home immediately if only to use the remaining part of his tenure to seek help instead of wandering abroad under the guise of private visits.