PDP SLAMS APC COUNCIL CHAIR OVER ‘INSULTING’ PALLIATIVE VIDEO IN JIGAWA

A viral video showing Buji Local Government Chairman Najibulla Falalu Tukur handing out single packets of Indomie noodles and N1,000 cash to residents has triggered a storm of criticism across Jigawa State, with the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) calling it “a mockery of the people’s dignity.”
The PDP State Publicity Secretary, Umar Kyari, issued a statement condemning the act as evidence of the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s insensitivity to the hardship endured by ordinary Nigerians. He described the distribution as “political immaturity” and symbolic of the ruling party’s failure to offer real relief amid growing poverty.
However, the council chairman’s spokesperson, Aliyu Safiyanu, defended the initiative, insisting that the viral video was misleading and did not represent the full scope of the outreach. According to him, over 3,000 individuals—including widows, youth, religious leaders, and guardians of orphans—were reached during the event, with many receiving more substantial aid, such as 25kg bags of rice, cartons of food, and cash gifts up to N20,000.
Safiyanu said the smaller packages were offered to uninvited community members who showed up at the venue and were accommodated out of goodwill to avoid turning anyone away empty-handed. He accused political opponents of exploiting the clip to stir resentment and misrepresent the chairman’s intentions.
Despite the controversy, the PDP used the occasion to extend Eid greetings and call for a productive farming season across the state.