Following the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to his hometown, Daura, Katsina State on Saturday to revalidate his membership of his party, All Progressive Congress, accompanied by 10 governors of the party, the Peoples Democratic Party and the Yoruba Socio-political group, Afenifere; and some concerned individuals have expressed shock that the governors could abandon their official duties to their states for such function.
Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity in a statement titled, “We have nothing to hide, our books will always be open – President Buhari,” disclosed the details of Buhari’s entourage.
Among them was also the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan.
The statement partly read, “The President’s registration exercise in Daura was attended by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; 10 governors, including the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, who is the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, and other party stalwarts.”
Punch reports that apart from Buni (Yobe) who was mentioned in the statement, other governors who accompanied the President were Gboyega Oyetola (Osun); Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); Muhammad Badaru (Jigawa); Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe); Hope Uzodinma (Imo); Adulrahman Abdulrasaq, (Kwara); Simon Lalong (Plateau); and the host governor, Aminu Masari.
reacting to the development, the main opposition party, the PDP described the decision of the governors to accompany the President as the height of irresponsibility.
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The National Publicity Secretary of the opposition party, Kola Ologbondiyan termed the trip as a jamboree. Ologbondiyan said, “It is the height of irresponsibility. It beats the imagination that governors would abandon governance at a time of great insecurity and economic turmoil to embark on a jamboree.
“If they devote the kind of energy, they are devoting to chasing shadows in providing actual governance in their states, we will not be having the cases of banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal activities which have become the norm rather than the exception today.
“Why would almost 10 governors abandon their states just to witness the president signing a register? When was the last time any of these governors inaugurated a project beneficial to their people?
“In case they are unaware, both the APC and the Buhari brand have been demystified by the woeful performance of this regime.”
Afenifere also condemned the trip, noting that the governors displayed idleness by embarking on the trip.
This was stated by the National Publicity Secretary of the group, Yinka Odunmakin, in an interview with Punch.
He said, “The governors just displayed their idleness by abandoning their states to accompany the president to go and register for an old party. If they are gainfully engaged, they would not be available for such frivolity.”
Source: Punch