President Muhammadu Buhari has come under heavy criticisms for violating the COVID-19 law he signed himself.
Recall that Buhari had recently signed Executive Order that make mask-wearing and observation of social distancing in the public mandatory.
But the President was sighted without his mask in Daura, Katsina State, on Saturday.
Buhari is currently in his hometown to revalidate his membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Governors, government officials, several party loyalists and supporters accompanied him. The President had a mask on but removed it at some point.
On Sunday, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) expressed dismay about Buhari’s flouting of the regulation which provides 6-months jail term for defaulters.
The PDP called it a huge national embarrassment and gross failure of leadership that the President “who ought to lead by example”. did not.
In a statement on Sunday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said it’s scandalous that while Nigerians are striving to obey the COVID-19 regulation, which stipulates the compulsory wearing of nose mask and physical distancing in the public, the President and some of his party men flouted the rule during his visit to his Daura country home on Saturday.
“The media is awash with reports and pictures of Mr. President in public, discussing with his party leaders at the event without putting on a nose mask or maintaining social distancing as stipulated by the new law.
“Such disregard to law and rules, which have characterized the Buhari Presidency and the APC, is largely responsible for the failure of leadership under the Buhari-led APC administration in the last five years.
“Moreover, this development has further shown that the Buhari Presidency and the APC are more interested in partisan politics than the health and wellbeing of our nation.
“We ask, with this violation, does the Buhari administration and its officials still have the rectitude to enforce sanctions on any other defaulter in the absence of necessary regrets by President Buhari and his party, the APC?”, the PDP said.
The PDP urged President Buhari and the APC to clean up the mess by tendering an unreserved apology to Nigerians and take steps to observe necessary regrets over the alleged violation.
“Furthermore, the PDP, as a law-abiding party, urges Nigerians not to emulate such examples but continue to exert themselves in observing all COVID-19 protocols placed to check the spread of the pandemic in our country”.
Also, Nigerians on social media have criticised the President for disobeying the Covid-19 rules.