The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the comments by President Muhammadu Buhari on the defection of Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) smacks of dereliction of duty and “political scavenging” by the Presidency.
It believes a statement credited to the Presidency has exposed how the nation was brought to its knees as compelling demands of the office are made to suffer because of trivial issues.
In a statement on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP accused President Buhari of abandoning the responsibilities of his office and focusing on the partisan adventure of an individual.
Noting that such an action was a misplacement of energy, it stressed that it has further exposed the President’s alleged incompetence and poor understanding of the tenets of leadership, statesmanship, and expectations of his office.
Show More Seriousness
“The PDP holds as appalling that the Buhari Presidency is showing more urgency in commenting on political adventures rather than expressing concern on the reported kidnapping of 12 senior police officers by bandits.
“The party observed that if President Buhari had used the same urgency he displayed in commenting on Governor Umahi’s defection to address the issue of police brutality, the crisis situation, death, arson, destruction of public and private property witnessed in the aftermath of the EndSARS protest would have been averted,” the PDP said in the statement.
It added, “Indeed, if Mr President had shown similar urgency towards the demand for the rejigging of our national security architecture, we would have averted the escalated insurgency, kidnapping and bloodletting ravaging our country today.
“In the same vein, if President Buhari had used the same urgency to respond to the call to reorganise his economic team, end the corruption in his government, as well as address the frightening upsurge in unemployment under his watch, our nation would not be in this sorry state as the poverty capital of the world.”
The PDP also alleged that by his action, President Buhari has shown that he has no time for governance, saying that was out of sync with the social and political reality in the country.
It described the President’s reaction to Governor Umahi’s defection as a disconnection from the expectations of Nigerians, particularly at this trying time.
The party, therefore, urged the President to wake up and show more seriousness to the duties of his office, rather than engaging in “personal political enterprise of individuals”.
It also asked the President’s handlers to stop ridiculing his office.
