PDP to Buhari: Engage Nigerians at home in geo-political townhall meetings

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to summon courage and hold sessions with Nigerians via townhall meetings in the six geo-political zones just like the one he had with Nigeria’scitizens living in France.
The party gave the charge in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja.
The PDP insisted that President Buhari should be bold to face Nigerians at home and give account of his administration in the last six years.
The main opposition party noted that it was not enough for President Buhari to visit far away France and attempt to “use unsuspecting Nigerians living in Paris in a desperate effort to window dress the shambolic economic and security situation foisted on our nation by his failed administration”.
According to the statement, “Our party holds as despicable that Presidency handlers could opt to ridicule Mr. President by making him to believe that Nigerians in the Diaspora could be swayed by cosmetic claims when they are aware of the contrary political, economic and security realities on ground in our country.
“The PDP finds it ludicrous that President Buhari asserted in the Paris meeting that he was committed to free and fair election, when in reality, he failed to sign the Electoral Act amendment Bill.
“This is in addition to the fact that most elections under his watch had been marred by outright alteration of results, violence, voters suppression by security operatives as witnessed in the Kogi state governorship election; as well as endorsement of the subversion of electoral mandate to enthrone the candidate of his party as the Imo state governor even when he came fourth in the election.
“Moreover, Mr. President owes the nation more than a passing comment in explaining how his instructions to the military led to the killing and maiming of Nigerians at the polls.
“Mr. President must be reminded that his administration conducted the worst election in our national history as witnessed in the 2019 elections as well as some of the off-season elections.
“Moreover, our party shudders that Mr. President can assert that he is committed to a multi-party system, in a situation where brazen efforts are being made by his administration to strangulate the main opposition party, with various instruments of suppression including encouraging the EFCC to unconstitutionally harass our party leaders”, it said.
The PDP pointed out that it was equally jolted by the President’s presentation of imaginary commitment of his administration towards security, economy, agriculture and education.
It added, “Sadly, this is even when his administration has taken no decisive steps to vanquish terrorists, bandits and kidnappers marauding our nation; when the economy is in shambles with no sense of direction by his government; when the education sector is in chaotic state as no meaningful investment has been made in the sector in the last six years and when the nation is faced with food crisis because his administration has failed to end terrorism so that our farmers can return to farmlands for production”.
The PDP thus urged President Buhari to end his unnecessary showboating and address the situation by ending the corruption in his administration, supporting the amendments to the electoral act and the 1999 Constitution to guarantee credible elections as well as enthroning elements of true federalism to engender state policing, fairness and equity in our country.