Why Buhari Refused To Cancel The APC Dinner - Source Reveals

President Muhammadu Buhari rejected suggestions to cancel a lavish dinner with members of his party at the State House on Sunday night, saying horrific massacres like the one witnessed on Sunday morning at a Catholic parish in Ondo occur every day in Nigeria across its diverse regions, according to one official who was directly involved in the discussion. Another official who heard that the discussion took place but did not participate directly offered corroboration to Peoples Gazette in the early hours of Monday.

“Mr President was told that some party leaders are asking whether they should still come to the Villa for the scheduled dinner, but he said we should tell them to come,” the official said. “He said in Hausa and English that security agencies are overwhelmed by violent deaths from different regions of the country every day.”

Aides said the president only felt obliged to issue a condolence message and give marching orders to security agencies in the hope that the suspects are promptly apprehended and charged.

“He said if everything that needed to be done about press statement had been done, then protocols should remain activated for the event,” our source added.

The second official, who belonged to another department and did not play a direct role in the dinner preparation, said he was told exactly the same.

“There is no difference between what you’re asking me and what I was told when I got to the office and asked why the president left for the dinner,” the second official said. Both aides spoke under anonymity to avoid losing their positions at the Presidential Villa.