Coronavirus: PDP Tackles PMB For Belittling Senate, Not Addressing Nigerians

BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI, ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has slammed the Presidency over what it termed as insult hurled at the Senate for endorsing the patriotic call on President Muhammadu Buhari to personally address Nigerians on the fight against the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

The main opposition party described as shocking and totally unacceptable the seeming laid back attitude of Mr President in the face of rampaging deadly pandemic.

According to the PDP, it is a sad commentary that instead of rising to the “challenge and leading in the fight, like other world leaders, Mr President has allowed his aides to haul insults on the legislature to the extent of describing the lawful resolution of the Senate as cheap politics”.

It further said; “this development amounted to a gross misconduct on the part of Mr. President, who 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).”

The party’s position contained in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, noted that; “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 views 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 a 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.

“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.”

Mr Ologbondiyan further said that; “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.”

Amplifying its earlier call on the President to address the nation on the Covid-19, the PDP Spokesperson said; “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.”

It also urged the President “to wake up and end his Presidency’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.”

In counseling the Presidency to be ‘tolerant and courteous’ in the manner it treats and addresses Nigerians and statutory institutions, such as the Senate, the PDP charged the Presidency to “immediately withdraw its response to the Senate; apologise to Nigerians; and schedule Mr President to address the nation on the Covid-19 issue.”