The People’s Democratic Party PDP has called on the presidency to respond to allegations of underfunding og the Nigerian military by Borno senator Ali Ndume.

It would be recalled that Senator Ndume, who is the Chairman of Senate Committee on Army, had alleged that the Buhari administration’s under-funding of the military was responsible for the persistent insecurity challenges in the nation.

In the same vein, the party has also asked Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina state to come clean on his alleged connections with marauders and bandits ravaging his state, following his attempt to politicize the issue by claiming that opposition elements were behind the banditry in the state.

The party described as worrisome, the comments by Senator Ndume, who on a national television on Tuesday night, restated his position that the Buhari administration was not adequately funding the military.

“Nigerians can recall that Governor Masari reportedly have some connections with the bandits and even held a much publicized ceasefire agreement meeting with them in September 2019, where the bandits reportedly stated that their grievance was alleged maltreatment by authorities in Katsina state.

“Nigerians can also recall that Governor Masari, in June 2020, announced that his peace agreement with the bandits has collapsed because, according to him, the bandits breached the agreement which his administration had with them.

“Our party therefore urges Governor Masari to come clean on his connections with the bandits and stop pointing accusing fingers on imaginary political rivals, apparently to divert public attention from deeper issues relating to banditry in his state,” the party said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan.

The party noted that Senator Ndume’s comments places a huge burden of explanation at the doorstep of the Buhari Presidency, which has failed on all fronts to secure the nation, leading to the escalation of banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and other acts of violence in various parts of the country.