Read the PDP press statement below...
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as evasive, diversionary and preemptive, the present government’s pile up of excuses for possible failure in delivering on its campaign promises to Nigerians.
The PDP said it is unfortunate that President Mohammadu Buhari and the APC, who were privy to the nation’s dwindling economy occasioned by global economic downturn and fall in international oil price, even before the start of the campaigns, chose to deceive Nigerians with bogus promises, only to now resort to excuses after using the promises to secure power at the center.
PDP
National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on Tuesday said
the party notes with dismay, President Buhari’s statement on Monday that
Nigerians should not expect much from his first 100 days in office on claims
that he met “virtually an empty treasury and huge debts”, noting that such only
underlines the fact that the present administration is really not equipped to
face the challenges of governance.
“While we
restate our resolve to engage only in credible and issue based opposition, we
want the President and the APC to note that their plea for patience from
Nigerians does not arise, because ab-initio, there has not been any indication
that they are actually serious and determined to deliver on their campaign
promises upon which they rode to power.
“Of course
Nigerians are willing to support and cooperate with the President, but we are
worried that the pictures emerging from his presidency and his party do not in
any way inspire hope in the citizenry, especially as they have continued to
show that theirs is ostensibly a matter of obtaining power by false pretenses.
“President
Buhari and the APC must know that Nigerians did not give them the mandate to
engage in frivolous excuses and pleas but to hit the ground running with
solutions and quick fixes they promised during the campaigns.
We ask, is
President Buhari’s statement an admission of poor knowledge of national and
international economic affairs or does it underscore the lack of capacity and
skills by the administration to effectively harness and galvanize resources and
potential inherent in Nigeria which has already been nurtured as Africa’s
largest economy and one of the fasted growing in the world.
“Even if
Nigerians decide to wait endlessly, we wonder how much the President can
achieve amidst the flip-flops from his presidency and cacophony of interests
from his party leaders struggling to enlarge their selfish political and
economic frontiers.
“How can
one reconcile President Buhari’s statement with the recent ridiculous and
misleading claim by APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed
that this administration has achieved in three weeks what the immediate past
administration did not achieve in five years?
“Since
after their electoral victory, the APC and the President have continued to
expose their lack of commitment towards their campaign promises.
“We recall
that on May 5, 2015, twenty-four days before his inauguration, President Buhari
at a meeting with APC leaders in Abuja opened the excuse galore when he
expressed his nervousness to deliver in office, adducing that ‘Rome was not
built in a day’.
“We also
recall that in their attempt to find an escape route in one of their bogus
campaign promises, the APC denied that the President ever promised Nigerians
that they will end insurgency two months after inauguration but had to swallow
their words after the PDP confronted them with the April 22, 2015 CNN interview
where Buhari made that promise.
“Indeed,
we empathize with the President knowing that the confusion and clear lack of
direction in his party have not helped matters, but we urge him to rise up to
the challenge, take urgent steps and disentangle himself from the selfish and
unpatriotic tendencies of APC leaders, especially given the fact that Nigerians
gave him a mandate for which they will continue to hold him accountable.
“Finally,
the PDP restates that it is eager to see the APC and the President unveil their
economic roadmap and blueprint for governance so as to enable us through robust
opposition, provide credible alternatives and options for their policies and
programmes in the overall interest of our dear nation”.
Signed:
Chief Olisa Metuh
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