The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately address the nation on the status of the Presidential Villa in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The party, in a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, said it was reacting to reports that President Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, had tested positive to the deadly coronavirus disease.
This news medium ad reported that Kyari, who recently arrived in Nigeria from Germany, tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday, while President Buhari tested negative.
Kyari was said to have travelled to Germany where he is suspected to have contracted the disease on March 7 and returned about a week later.
Sources in the Presidency have disclosed that Kyari has been indoors since the test result was announced.
The PDP, however, noted that though President Buhari was reported to have tested negative to the virus, “it is yet imperative that he douses public tension by addressing a distressed nation on the status of the Villa, especially given that other officials, like Abba Kyari, had travelled to high-risk countries in the course of their duties.”
“The party notes 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.”
Accordingly, the party advised 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 the isolation of persons returning from foreign trips.
The PDP urged the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and other relevant agencies to adopt stringent measures to isolate and monitor persons coming into the country as well as track and equally isolate those who had made contact with infected persons.
In this regard, the PDP asked the NCDC to 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 party called on Nigerians to remain vigilant and observe all health safety directives, including social distances, 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, our nation will overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
