The recent commendation of President Muhammadu Buhari by the Zamfara State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is an indication that the national leaders of the opposition party are cut off from feelings and realities at the sub-national levels.
According to the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, this can be the only explanation for PDP national leaders’ mendacious propaganda on the country’s war against insecurity.
“Here are leaders that may not have travelled beyond their home bases, and who have refused to be properly briefed, but are always quick to pontificate on the security situation in many parts of the country.
“But now their claims have been proved to be what they truly are, by members of the same party from the affected area-a tissue of lies.
“We invite Nigerians to note that PDP members who are fully on ground in Zamfara State have proved to be men of honour by saying it as it is, rather than join their national leadership in irresponsibly spreading fake news and hate speech.
“Speaking through the state Secretary Alhaji Hashimu Modomowa, PDP members in that State not only expressed satisfaction with the Federal Government’s efforts at fighting banditry to a standstill, they also made references to the ongoing military initiatives.
“Interestingly, this came few days after the Nigerian military said its air component of Operation Hadarin Daji killed close to 200 armed bandits in multiple airstrikes on two camps in Katsina and Zamfara States, a day after it killed 135 bandits.
“There’s no gainsaying the fact that the Buhari administration has not only contained banditry in Zamfara but also in other states in the North West, but rather than the PDP’s national leadership to acknowledge this, they have found pleasure in spreading fake news and deriding the efforts of the President to return peace and normalcy to the affected areas,” the group said.
BMO also urged the PDP national leadership to take a cue from its local chapter and refrain from making unverifiable claims.
“What Zamfara PDP has shown is that one could still be in the opposition and be truthful rather than seek to play to the gallery with falsehood.
“The party Secretary even went to the extent of commending the Federal Government for granting Governor Bello Matawalle’s request to revive mining activities in the State, a move which according to the Governor, ‘would go a long way in reducing crime by providing job opportunities to the teeming youths of the State’.
” We see this as yet another proof of the type of leadership that President Buhari is bringing to bear on governance
with his attitude of not ignoring States that are in the hands of the opposition, unlike what PDP had done in the past with Lagos.
“It is then not surprising that he enjoys the confidence of a lot of opposition governors across the country”.
The group assured Nigerians that the President will continue to deliver quality and purposeful leadership in line with his electoral promise.
