Borno booing: Learn lessons, stop chasing shadows, PDP tells presidency

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has counseled the Buhari presidency to stop chasing shadows, end its resort to falsehood and blackmail as well as take a lesson from the widespread booing that greeted President Muhammadu Buhari during his media stunt visit to insurgency ravaged Borno state on Wednesday.
The PDP said that its position is predicated on the allegation by the Presidency that the people of Borno were paid to boo the President, even when his ordeal was clearly self-inflicted following his Presidency’s continuous aloofness to the plight of Nigerians and communities being daily ravaged by terrorists, bandits and insurgents.
The party said President Buhari should rather accept the bitter truth that Nigerians no longer have confidence in him, instead of allowing his aides to insult and smear the already hurting people of Borno state, for expressing their discontentment over the failure of his administration to take steps to end the scourge of terrorism in the country.
According to the statement, “It is indeed an unpardonable height of thoughtlessness and leadership failure for the Buhari Presidency to accuse victims of terrorism; a brokenhearted people, including those who have been orphaned, widowed, maimed, rendered homeless and living in agony and fear, of being bribed to boo the President during his media stunt visit.
“Our party holds that an honest and concerned Presidency would be more interested in taking decisive steps to tackle the security challenges which has festered under it, instead of engaging in shadow-chasing, blackmail, propaganda and unnecessary media stunt visit, which itinerary did not include the victims of the attacks.
“Moreover, during the visit, Mr. President had no significant soothing words of assurance for the people; he had no decisive policy thrust to track down the killers, yet his handlers expected the mourning people to clap.
“The PDP notes that the reaction of Nigerians in Borno represents the opinion of majority of our citizens and the international community. The attempt by the Buhari Presidency to divert attention by accusing Nigerians is therefore completely unacceptable.
“The Buhari Presidency should indeed search its conscience regarding its manifest failure to decisively act in the face of escalated insecurity in our country under its watch”, it said.
The party also charged the Buhari Presidency to further gauge the feeling of Nigerians by visiting other states of the federation and by road, perhaps after that it would finally dawn on it that Nigerians, across board, no longer have confidence in the Buhari administration.