The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has slammed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what it described as genocide in Plateau State.
The PDP blamed Tinubu for failing to visit the affected Plateau communities, adding that the president’s laxity raises fears of complicity.
The main opposition party also insisted on International Criminal Court, ICC’s investigation into the massacre.
Sunrise recalls that on Christmas Eve, over a hundred people were killed in over 20 communities of the state, many injured, houses and means of livelihood destroyed during the incidents in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi LGAs of the state.
And days after the deadly Christmas Day attacks on Bokkos, yet another community came under attack in the same Local Government on Thursday night.
The PDP berated Tinubu over what it called his inexplicable failure to visit the scene of the Christmas eve genocidal massacre of Nigerians by terrorists in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi communities of Plateau State.
“Our Party asserts that President Tinubu’s failure to show personal empathy and leadership by visiting the troubled people of Plateau State tends to validate disturbing insinuations in the public space of complicity in high places with regard to the attacks,” a statement signed by Debo Ologunagba, the party’sNational Publicity Secretary, said.
“The PDP is concerned as Nigerians raise puzzling questions as to what was responsible for the failure of intelligence before and during the coordinated massacre which went on for over 48 hours.
“Of further concern is the fact that Nigerians are also raising issues on these apprehensions by making reference to the statement attributed to former military head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha on the possibility of complicity by officials of a government in unrestrained insurgency or crisis situation such as witnessed in the Plateau State massacre.
“President Tinubu must therefore allay fears and concerns on the above by immediately visiting the affected communities and personally addressing the nation on concrete steps to track down the perpetrators and their sponsors.
“It smacks of grave insensitivity and dereliction of duty for Mr. President as the Commander-in-Chief to remain silent in the face of targeted massacre of his citizens without defence 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.
“Of course, the whole world witnessed the video of President Joe Biden kneeling down before the daughter of George Floyd to offer his condolences on behalf of the United States for the brutal murder of her father. President Tinubu ought to have drawn a lesson from that.
“The apparent lack of empathy and the tokenism of sending proxies to Plateau State is unacceptable and clear manifestation of insensitivity by a President who remains unconcerned and fiddles in the comfort, luxury and pleasure of the Presidential villa while his citizens are mercilessly being brutalized and massacred by terrorists. President Tinubu must wake up from his slumber and be alive to his responsibility as PRESIDENT.
The PDP also reiterated its call for investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the Genocide; an international crime perpetuated on the peaceful, defenseless and innocent people of Plateau State on Christmas Eve.
