PDP: Buhari cancelled trip to Zamfara over fear of bandit attack — he should have gone by road

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says President Muhammadu Buhari cancelled his trip to Zamfara over the fear of being attacked by terrorists. 

Buhari, who was in Sokoto on Thursday to inaugurate some projects, was billed to proceed to Zamfara to discuss insecurity in the state and also to commiserate with the people over the recent attacks in Anka and Bukkuyum LGAs.

However, Bello Matawalle, Zamfara governor, later announced that the president informed him that he would have to reschedule owing to poor visibility for flying.

Reacting to the development on Friday, the opposition party said Buhari cancelled his trip because the north-western state is not safe.

“The Party dismisses President Buhari’s excuse of not travelling to Zamfara State because of inclement flying weather when he had the option of travelling the short trip from Sokoto to Gusau by road,” Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said in a statement.

“We ask, did Mr. President cancel the trip to Zamfara State out of fear of terrorists? Was Mr. President, an Army General, with all the security apparatus under his command afraid to travel by road because he was not sure of his security as well as the dilapidated state of our roads under his watch?

“From Sokoto to Gusau, the Zamfara State capital is about 206 kilometres, a journey a leader who has the interest of the people at heart and who is sure of his security could have undertaken by road.

“President Buhari ought to have reassured Nigerians by travelling to Gusau, instead, he opted for a video broadcast in which he promised the troubled people of the state that he looks “forward to a more weather-friendly period when I will visit.”

“This is another sad demonstration of the President leading from behind against his own promise and commitment to Nigerians to lead from the front in the fight against terrorism.

“Such attitude to governance speaks volumes as to why our nation is in a shambolic state under the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration which is largely laidback, unconcerned and corrupt.

“If truly the people matter to Mr. President and his Party, the APC; if truly President Buhari and the APC believe in Nigerians and feel their pains; if truly they are very concerned about the wellbeing of the people, then Mr. President would have taken it upon himself, with all the apparatus of power at his disposal, to visit and empathize with the people of Zamfara State who are daily traumatized by terrorists.”