The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to address issues of insecurity and corruption in the country instead of prioritizing external problems.

Kola Ologbodiyan, Party’s National Publicity Secretary, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday, July 26.

Ologbodiyan said President Buhari’s choice of a ‘photo-op trip to troubled Mali while failing to find a solution to the myriads of political, economic and security crisis ravaging Nigeria has once again called to question his determination to face the challenges of our country under his incompetent watch’.

According to the opposition party, the decision of Buhari to leave the comfort and safety of the presidential villa, ‘he should respond to the distress calls by Nigerians and immediately visit Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Adamawa, Sokoto, Yobe, and other States of with security threats.

Read Also: I MADE AN ERROR SUPPORTING OBASEKI IN 2016 - ADAMS OSHIOMOLE

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, July 23, embarked on a one day visit to Bamako, Mali, for closed door meeting to mitigate political crisis in the country.

The statement read “The party described r President’s prioritization of the situation in Mali over the worsening political and economic instability, festering corruption as well as escalated banditry, killings and bloodletting in various parts of our country as a misplacement of governance urgency as well as an inexcusable dereliction of statutory responsibilities vested on the person and office of the President and Commander in Chief of our nation.

The PDP laments that a President and Commander-in-Chief who cannot live up to his statutory governance responsibility at home but is always preoccupied with seeking photo opportunity abroad, leaves much to be desired.

While the PDP has nothing against Nigeria’s participation in seeking peace in the troubled Mali, it is however depressing that, upon re-opening his doors, President Buhari had Mali as his priority destination and could not demonstrate the littlest solidarity with Nigerians, even if it is a whistle-stop at any of our military posts in the fronts or any of the distressed states.

Indeed, Mr. President must be receiving regular briefing on the daily ravaging of communities and mindless killings in Katsina, his home state; Kaduna, Zamfara, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Adamawa, Sokoto, Yobe states, among others in addition to the reported challenges facing our gallant soldiers in the fronts, yet upon reopening of his doors, he chose to jet away to Mali instead of addressing these critical issues at home.

Mr. President has taken no decisive steps to address the worsening economic situation in our country, which is daily plummeting in his hands, the accumulating foreign debts, plundering of foreign reserves, frightening unemployment rate, devaluation of our naira,high cost of living and issues of reduced life expectancy in Nigeria.”

Read Also: DOGARA DUMPS PDP, JOINS APC AGAIN 

Speaking on the ongoing probe into various governmental organizations, the PDP said Buhari has failed to forcefully confront the widespread corruption that has become a hallmark of his administration in which officials and leaders of his party have been engaging in unbridled treasury looting as being exposed in the investigative hearings at the National Assembly.

“Moreover, under the Buhari-led APC our nation has experienced the worst form of division and instability in the polity due to the unchecked violation of our constitution, disregard to principles of separation of powers and federal character; manifest arrogance of government officials, abuse of human rights, nepotism, disobedience to court orders, stifling of free speech, harassment of opposition and violation of extant statutory regulations.

Nigerians, therefore, wonder what President Buhari has to present on the table in Mali alongside other West African leaders when his administration has failed to demonstrate the required commitment to confront our domestic political, economic and security challenges, which escalated due to its incompetence and seething corruption.”

The opposition party reiterated that the President is meant to invite other African leaders home and attract a synergy to find solutions to the challenges facing Nigeria. 

The PDP therefore urged the President to stop 'showboating trips outside the country while governance is failing at home.'