Killings: APC not sensitive to Nigerians’ plight –PDP

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the APC allegedly encouraged President Muhammadu Buhari to visit his cattle ranch instead of Kankara, where 300 students where abducted by suspected terrorists.

The opposition party said by not impressing it on President Buhari to cut short his holiday and make efforts to rescue the abducted students, the APC has, again, shown that it is a party which has no iota of concern for the wellbeing of Nigerians.

“The preference for the welfare of Mr. President’s cattle over the safety of our young students, who are now languishing in their abductors’ den, foregrounds APC’s disdain for Nigerians, for which it should never be entrusted with governance at any level in future.

“Our party and, indeed, discerning Nigerians are not surprised that the APC, as a party, has not forcefully condemned the kidnapping of the students even as it has not raised any strong voice against the recent gruesome killing of 43 farmers in Borno State by terrorists.

“Rather, the APC has tacitly supported the insensitive comment by the Buhari Presidency, which blamed the slain farmers instead of taking steps to apprehend the assailants.

“Our party charges the APC to come clean on this manifest conspiracy of silence as such silence, in the face of horrific killing and kidnapping of innocent Nigerians, only points to the complicity of its leaders,” the PDP said.

The party added that APC leaders must explain their “interests in acts of violence and terrorism ravaging our country, particularly, given that many of them, including some state governors, had admitted establishing contacts with and even paying ransom to bandits.

“Moreover, the admission by a terrorist group of being responsible for the Kankara abduction, after the APC government in the state had informed the public that bandits were responsible and that it was already in contact with the said bandits, raises critical questions on the integrity of the claims by the APC government.

“Furthermore, our party strongly rejects the unfolding ploy by the APC to set up, ridicule and paint President Buhari as being solely responsible for their collective failure in governance.

“The PDP, standing with Nigerians, insists the APC must not be allowed to hide under the failure of President Buhari to launder its image as it is the real architect of the misrule of the Buhari administration.

“The APC must answer for its atrocities and fake promises and not think that by abandoning the Buhari Presidency at the eleventh hour and by embarking on name change and orchestrated expulsion of some its state governors and leaders, it will be exonerated by Nigerians.”