The Presidency has slammed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s position on the aborted visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Zamfara, describing it mischief.

”The statement on the issue by the PDP attacking the president for not making it to Gusau without this being planned ahead of the journey is shameful and disgraceful for a party that held the presidency of the country in the past. What is their own record?” said the president’s media aide Garba Shehu in a statement on Sunday.

Mr Buhari had last week expressed regret for not visiting Zamfara as earlier planned on Thursday, due to inclement weather conditions.

In reaction, the PDP frowned at the sudden cancellation of the president’s trip, rejecting the reason of bad weather as advanced by the presidency for aborting the visit.

However, Mr Shehu explained that it would have gone against all well-known protocol worldwide for a serving president to suddenly embark on a road journey without this being planned ahead of the trip.

”Criticism of the president, in particular the one by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for not proceeding with the journey, Sokoto-Gusau by road, a distance of about 200 kilometres shows, either a lack of understanding of presidential movements especially for a party that held that office for 16 years, or an act that smacks of mischief,” added the statement.

He also frowned at political actors in Zamfara, using the aborted trip to score cheap political goals in the state. Mr Shehu said the president would in no time accomplish his mission in Zamfara.

(NAN)