The Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), founded and led by former president Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for campaigning for his re-election in the face of the ongoing killings in the North-Central part of the country.

In a statement titled ‘Fiddling While Nigeria Is Burning’, released on Sunday by the group’s spokesman, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, the CNM called on the president to put the security of Nigerians ahead of his political interests.

“Mid last week, the regime of massacre in Benue State attained another height in the invasion of a church where two Catholic priests and indeterminate number of the congregation were butchered.

“The tragedy was casually reinforced by the decision of the president to proceed on a campaign tour to Bauchi in careless and insensitive disregard of the intensifying Benue calamity. This peculiar attitude has become all too familiar and characteristic of President Buhari.

“Something of the unfolding national calamity can still be salvaged in the likely event that the President sees it fit to mend his way going forward. Were the President to continue to prioritize his re-election bid over the security and well being of Nigerians, he would be putting the corporate existence of the nation at risk,” the statement read in part.

The CNM also lauded last week’s report of the United States Department of State which accused the current administration of failing to effectively tackle corruption and human rights abuses.