#EndSARS: Buhari’s Broadcast Disconnected From Nigeria’s Tragic Realities -PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the broadcast by President Muhammadu Buhari is “disappointing and completely disconnected from the realities of the tragic occurrences in our country in the last two weeks.”

Buhari had on Thursday evening delivered the long-awaited address over the #EndSARS protests currently rocking the nation. The speech came after so much criticism from Nigerians over his long silence.

PDP in a statement issued by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the speech was depressing and failed the “empathy test.”

Ologbondiyan said the speech did not adequately address the turmoil, unrest and killing of young people.

He appealed to the youth to remain calm and allow a return to “normal life in the collective quest for peaceful co-existence in the overall interest of our nation.”

He said: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the long-awaited address by President Muhammadu Buhari on the protests rocking the nation, as disappointing and completely disconnected from the realities of the tragic occurrences in our country in the last two weeks.

“Mr. President’s address, in the face of the turmoil witnessed, the unrests as well as the killing of young Nigerians, is to say the least, depressing and failing in empathy test.”

“Our party and, indeed, all lovers of peace in our country, were shocked that Mr. President glossed over the immediate trigger of violent protests – the widely condemned killing at the Lekki Tollgate by security operatives, a situation which created a global concern and drew the attention of the world to the abuse of human rights going on in our country under his watch.”

He lamented that the president did not address the demand by Nigerians for enquires into the involvement of the military in the gruesome killings.

He continued: “Painfully too, Mr. President, as the Commander-in-Chief, was silent on the demand by Nigerians for enquires into the involvement of the military in the gruesome killing.

“Sadly, the long awaited address failed to inspire any hope. It failed to address the trepidations, the pervading hopelessness, the drifting towards anarchy and provided no concrete steps on how to arrest the situation and rein in bandits, hoodlums and vandals that were let loose to unleash violence on peaceful protesters and innocent Nigerians.

“In short, from the letters of the address, there were no correlations between the fundamentals of the crisis situation that we have witnessed and the long-sought reaction of Mr President.”

The PDP spokesman further said against expectations of Nigerians, the president failed to provide the lead for overhauling of the country’s security architecture to meet the demands of professionalism and respect for rules of engagement.

He further lamented that the “President also failed to use the opportunity to further heal wounds and inspire hope by outlining a roadmap to open up the economy in a manner that will enable our teeming hard working youths to pursue their productive goals as well as address the issue of pervading hunger in the land.

“However, in solidarity with Nigerians and in honour to the victims of Lekki Toll Gate killing, our party has directed that our flags in all our offices across the nation be flown at half-mast for a period of one week, beginning from Friday, October 23, 2020.”

Ologbondiyan charged men and women of good faith to join forces in praying for the country as well as working toward “solutions and peaceful resolution of the crisis that seeks to envelope our dear nation.”