PDP Endorses ICC Investigation Into Plateau Killings, Slams Tinubu For Feasting In Lagos While Nigeria Burns

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has endorsed calls for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate what it called genocide in Plateau State, describing it as an international crime perpetuated on the peaceful, defenseless and innocent people of the state.

Recall some communities came under attacks on Christmas eve in the state which resulted in the killings of over 150 lives by the invaders.

Amid the condemnation of the killings, which reportedly lasted for well over two days, the President, Bola Tinubu, was receiving leaders of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in his country home in Bourdillon, Lagos for a Christmas feast.

The president also received party supporters, as well as some governors and held large feast for the Christmas holiday.

The PDP said the president’s refusal to visit the communities, which are still on edge as the invaders have reportedly written a letter to them to expect another attack showed his complicity in the killings.

Describing it as a massacre, the opposition party in a statement signed by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba and sent to THE WHISTLER on Friday said Tinubu’s failure to visit the scenes of “genocidal massacre of Nigerians by terrorists in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi” is inexplicable.

“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,” the statement said.

The PDP said it’s 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, the party said was 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, now late, on the possibility of complicity by officials of a government in unrestrained insurgency or crisis situation such as witnessed in the Plateau State massacre.

The PDP said the president must therefore allay fears and concerns on this insinuation 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 party stated.

It added that, “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 brutalised and massacred by terrorists.

“President Tinubu must wake up from his slumber and be alive to his responsibility as President,” the statement added.