PDP slams Buhari, says statement on Coronavirus insults Nigerians

BY OUR REPORTER

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has slammed the Presidency saying it insulted the Senate and Nigerians asking President Muhammadu Buhari to personally address the nation on the fight against the spread of coronavirus in the country.

PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said it was “shocking and totally unacceptable” that instead of rising up to the challenge and leading in the fight, like other world leaders, President Buhari had allowed his aides to haul insults on the legislature to the extent of describing the lawful resolution of the Senate as “cheap politics”.

The Presidency had issued a statement assuring Nigerians that government was on top of the #Covid19 situation. “There is no cause for panic. So far, measures put in place are working efficiently. What Nigeria is doing has been recommended as a template,” the Presidency had declared, adding, “We also plead with Nigerians not to see this most peculiar of times as one to be politicised.”

But the PDP said the inability of the President to personally address the nation amounted to a gross misconduct on his part as he “had demonstrated a clear dereliction of duty and total disregard to the lawful resolution of the legislature, in violation of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”

It said: “Having failed in his expected leadership role at a critical time like this, President Buhari should know that the call by the Senate is a direct reflection of the view of the totality of Nigerians, who, like citizens of other countries, look up to the occupier of the seat of the President, personally, for direction and reassurances at a time of heighten public apprehensions and fear.

“The Presidency’s discourteous response to the Senate is therefore an unpardonable slap on the faces of the totality of Nigerians, whom the Senate represents, and further demonstrates the Presidency’s insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.

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“Our party considers the Buhari Presidency’s response to the Senate as an absurdity and a total disdain for our democratic institutions and collective sovereignty as a people.

“It is instructive to note that this arrogant display of insensitivity by the Buhari Presidency is symptomatic of regimes that have no regard for the people.

“Such regimes always wait to be reminded of their responsibilities and when duly reminded, they usually resort to insults, abuses and harassments.”

The PDP said it had earlier called on President Buhari to address the nation on the Covid-19 to no avail. “Our party therefore stands with Nigerians and the Senate in holding that President Buhari is duty bound to personally address the nation and stop pointing to activities of other agencies of government. He must lead from the front and the buck must stop on his table,” the statement stated.

The party frowned at what it described as the President’s lethargy to serious issues “as manifested in his failure to visit Abule-Ado but preferred to sit in the comfort of Aso Villa to be presented with pictures of the explosion that killed our compatriots, injured and rendered many more homeless” while charging him to wake up.

It called on the Presidency to immediately withdraw its response to the Senate, apologise to Nigerians and schedule the President to address the nation on the Covid-19 issue.