The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to personally visit the communities affected by the recent massacre in Plateau State, where gunmen attacked residents in the Bokkos and Barkin Ladi areas on Christmas Eve.
Expressing their concern over the tragic incident, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, issued a statement on Friday questioning the lapses in intelligence that led to the coordinated killings. The party criticized President Tinubu for not making a personal visit to the affected communities to demonstrate leadership and empathy toward the citizens.
In the statement, Ologunagba emphasized the party’s disappointment with the president’s decision to send aides to issue statements instead of addressing the nation directly. The PDP insisted that President Tinubu should take the opportunity to speak to the nation about concrete steps being taken to apprehend the perpetrators and their sponsors.
The statement read in part, “It smacks of grave insensitivity and dereliction of duty for Mr. President as the Commander-in-Chief to remain silent in the face of the targeted massacre of his citizens without defense and assistance. The President even failed to play his expected role as Consoler-in-Chief by not immediately visiting the troubled areas to demonstrate leadership, empathy, and connection with the citizens.
“Instead of sending his aides to issue lame statements and detailing surrogates to visit after much prodding, President Tinubu should have as a matter of duty personally visited the scene of the genocide to give succor to the families of the dead and the wounded as well as reassure that his government is with the people of the affected communities in particular and Plateau State in general.”