By Omeiza Ajayi

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has chastised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for its “senseless” decision to hold political rallies at a time Nigeria and other countries were encouraging social distancing as a way of controlling the spread of Coronavirus.

“At a time when countries all over the world are taking deliberate, coordinated and concerted measures to contain the global outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVlD-19), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sees the need to hold a senseless rally,” APC said yesterday in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.

According to the APC: “Nigeria just cancelled the scheduled National Sports Festival, NYSC camps have closed down nationwide, a travel ban on government officials is in place, restricted entry into the country for travellers from 13 countries is in effect, improved emergency medical response across the country is in place among other social distancing steps being taken to protect our country.

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“On Wednesday, five new cases were announced in the country and efforts are already underway to track persons who have had contact with these confirmed cases.

“The PDP’s thoughtless action is shockingly at variance with the current world effort to contain this pandemic”, it added.

The ruling party said events in most countries of the world and instructions being given by the Nigerian government “do not support this criminal activity”.

“Obviously, the PDP is incapable of applying itself to rules and commonsense.

“Even as the APC-led government is making efforts to put in place a new national order for good governance and patriotic citizenship, PDP, living up to its legendary infamy, has continued in its malicious ways.

“How could any group choose this period to pull a crowd together? What is at stake at this moment that requires this level of risk-taking? Why do the leaders of PDP not realise this action is capable of putting the entire country in jeopardy?

“For how long would this country put up with a badly behaved and clueless opposition party with an irredeemable tendency for taking actions that violate all known moral principles? This is a new low, even for the PDP’s abysmal standards.

“We call on well-meaning Nigerians to plead with the PDP leaders to be responsible for once. This is a time for them to apply some intelligence to their actions,” APC added.

Vanguard