COVID-19: PDP urges Buhari to speak out on status of Presidential Villa

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to douse widespread public anxiety by immediately addressing the nation on the status of the Presidential Villa, in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The party’s demand is predicated on public apprehension of health safety issues in the Villa following reports that President Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, had tested positive to the deadly corona virus disease.

In a statement on Tuesday by spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan the party noted that though President Buhari was reported to have tested negative to the virus, it’s still imperative that he doused public tension by addressing a distressed nation on the status of the Villa.

The PDP added that given the fact that Abba Kyari and some other top government officials had travelled to high-risk countries in the course of official duties recent times, the President owed it a duty to address a distraught nation.

The party noted that an address on the situation in the Presidential villa will further douse public concerns about the status of certain key officials, who have not been visible in the last few days.

The party stressed that Nigerians, no matter how highly placed, should strictly adhere to directives by relevant agencies of government on health safety measures, particularly as they relate to isolation of persons returning from foreign trips.

The PDP urged the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other relevant agencies to adopt stringent measures to isolate and monitor persons coming into the country as well as to track and equally isolate those who had made contacts with infected persons.

“In this regard, the NCDC should move into the Presidential villa and immediately track and isolate all those who had made contact with President Buhari’s Chief of Staff, so as to check further spread of COVID-19 in our country”, the PDP said.

The party called on Nigerians to remain vigilant and observe all health safety directives, including social distancing, self-isolation, personal hygiene and prompt report for medical assistance in the case of any symptoms.

The PDP expressed optimism that with a concerted effort by all Nigerians, the nation will overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.