PDP to Buhari: Go beyond sympathy visit, end killings

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to go beyond his sympathy visit to Borno state and take decisive steps to end the killings in the North East and other parts of the country.

The party, in a statement on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the alleged booing of President Buhari in Borno state was a clear message to him that Nigerians held him responsible for the escalated insecurity in the country.

The PDP said the alleged booing also showed a loss of confidence in the Buhari Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The PDP demands that Mr. President should not limit his visit to Borno state but also visit other parts of the country, including Kaduna, Kano, Benue, Plateau, Yobe, Adamawa, Zamfara, Kogi, Niger, Taraba and other states to face the feelings of Nigerians as well as view the national devastation his poor handling of security and infrastructure has caused  our nation.

“The party hopes that the visit to Borno state, which came only after the PDP and Nigerians criticized Mr. President for his aloofness, particularly over the Auno killing on Sunday, is not part of the usual presidential media stunts that will not be followed with a corresponding action to track down killers and end terrorism.

“The PDP further charges Mr. President to endeavour to go on subsequent visits by road in order to see and feel the agony Nigerians are being subjected to with the parlous state of our road infrastructure and security network under the incompetent and unresponsive Buhari Presidency and APC.

“Our party holds that Nigerians do not deserve a distant President, who sits in the comfort of the Presidential Villa and luxury jets, remaining indifferent to the pains, anguish and torments that compatriots suffer on daily basis.

“The PDP hereby calls on Mr. President to quickly embark on these visits and monitor, on first hand basis, the damage which his administration has caused and for which Nigerians are demanding that he resigns and allow more competent hands to manage the affairs of our nation.

“It is only after these visits that the Buhari Presidency will appreciate that those calling on him to rejig the nation’s security architecture mean well for our dear country,” the party said.