Osinbajo’s Kidnap Comment: Buhari, APC Have No Concern for Nigerians, Says PDP

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has stated that the reckless dismissal of the alarming spate of kidnapping in the country by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has further confirmed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has no iota of concern towards the pain and suffering of Nigerians.

The party noted in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, that attempting to play down the kidnapping menace as not being “as massive as that,” Osinbajo clearly demonstrated that the APC and its government are not connected with the people but only pretends towards them during electioneering.

According to PDP, “In dismissing the security problem, the vice president is simply telling victims of kidnapping that as far as the APC and its administration are concerned, they have not suffered enough.”

The PDP stated that such anti-people disposition, as being witnessed under the APC government, “can only come from an uncaring and insensitive administration that does not have the mandate of the people.

“It is therefore unfortunate that instead of being remorseful and seeking solutions, Osinbajo is rather playing on the sensibility of Nigerians by attempting to justify his comment, which has been widely condemned by citizens from all walks of life.

“Osinbajo has only succeeded in showcasing President Muhammadu Buhari’s incompetence and failure in securing Nigeria. He has also ridiculed his office in the eye of the international community, which is well aware of the gravity of kidnapping and other security challenges confronting our country.

“What has Osinbajo said to the families whose breadwinners have been killed by kidnappers and many who are still languishing in kidnappers’ dens?

“When will the problem of kidnapping become ‘massive for the APC administration when medical doctors, community heads, faith-based leaders, government officials and their relations, students, innocent school children, pregnant women and even expatriates are being kidnapped in various parts of the country?

“While our party and indeed millions of Nigerians appreciate the efforts by our security operatives in fighting this menace, despite the operational challenges imposed on them by the incompetent APC administration, the PDP still insists that President Buhari must bear the blame for the persistence of the security problems in the country.”

PDP explained that this is the reason Nigerians, at the 2019 general election, preferred a more capable and patriotic leader in Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, “who had already set out an operable blueprint to frontally confront and address the security challenges facing our country without resorting to unnecessary blame game.”