The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed alarm over the invasion of Aso Presidential Villa by burglars that targeted the residence of Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
The Herald had reported that Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu Monday night confirmed “a foolish attempt” to burgle the CoS’s residence, saying that it was unsuccessful.
In a Tuesday statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP blamed the incident on “bandits and armed robbers, saying the development further points to the collapse of security command structure under President Muhamamdu Buhari’s incompetent watch”.
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“The party says that the reported bandit assault on the residence of the Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, within the precinct of the Presidential villa, is too close to home and has heightened apprehensions over the capacity of the Buhari Presidency to secure the nation.
“All over the world, the Presidential Villa, as the seat of power and national sovereignty, is the fortress of the nation that ought to have impregnable security.
“As such, any breach of security, particularly by outlaws and in sequence, sends a clear danger signal to the overall security of the nation.
“It is imperative to state that such security infraction, that gave way for outlaws to invade the Presidential villa in sequence, inspite of its perceptibly secured ambience, can only happen under an absentee President, who have not demonstrated the required capacity expected of his office.
“The PDP also recalls the security breaches in June last year, involving shooting, violent combats, raids and free use of firearms within the precinct of the Presidential Villa, arising from a bitter squabble between members of President Buhari’s family and some security aides.
“Our party is worried that if President Buhari cannot guarantee the security of the Presidential villa, then his capacity to secure the entire country is no longer assured.”
The party urged President Buhari to “wake up from slumber, review his security architecture and take decisive steps, beyond his lethargic body language, to secure our nation”.