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Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, raised the alarm that the country is in bad shape and has continued to derail under the leadership of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC).
National Chairman, Uche Secondus, in his speech at the 90th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party in Abuja, yesterday, claimed the country is sliding into bankruptcy, experiencing unprecedented corruption, frightening security situation while governance is on autopilot.
“…Our beloved country is in a very bad shape, the populace are groaning in pains and the government response to this is heaping further pains on them. This country is sliding into bankruptcy but the government is instead embarking in endless borrowing with no accountability on the already borrowed ones. Federal Government themselves just reported last week that 428 agencies would not be able to pay salaries this November because of underfunding.
According to him, “at the last count Nigeria debt profile is showing over N31 trillion; a lot of it misappropriated. While borrowing in economics is not bad, it depends on what the borrowed resources is being channeled for. With the unprecedented corruption in the system under APC watch, it would be difficult to see this borrowed funds properly deployed.
“Amidst the frightening insecurity in the country accompanied by mass killings that has set fears on the people, what you get from government is multiple tariffs – Eelectricity, VAT, fuel hike and more, with its operatives indulging in lies and propaganda.
“The worrisome situation here is that Nigerians do not really know who is in charge in the country today. It appears that governance in our country today is on autopilot with agencies and operatives in a free world harassing and intimidating perceived enemies,” he said.
The PDP chairman claimed that a transparent election was not feasible with the current Electoral Act. Consequently, he said the party was liaising with its members in the National Assembly to ensure a new Electoral Act that will guarantee transparent elections is enacted before the next general elections.
“Within our family also, we are putting all on hands on deck to ensure we enter the next election stronger as one united and harmonious family and to achieve this I solicit the full and undiluted cooperation of NEC.
“On your behalf also, we are continuing in our extensive consultations with critical stakeholders to ensure that no stone is left unturned for our return to Aso Rock.”
On the defection of Governor David Umahi to the All Progressives Congress (APC), he said the PDP would not succumb to blackmail as it concerns the zoning of its 2023 presidential ticket.
Umahi, who formally joined the APC, yesterday, had said he left the PDP because the party had allegedly not been fair to the South East and demanded that the 2023 presidential ticket of the opposition be ceded to the zone.
However, Secondus dismissed Governor Umahi’s reason as provocative, saying the main reason behind the governor’s defection will be exposed soon.
“We have refused to join issues with him in any way but we cannot bow to any blackmail. What I can report to NEC is that the strength of our party in Ebonyi state and South East is intact and the NWC has taken necessary steps to protect and guard it. The real season that informed this decision will soon be exposed.”
Similarly, Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Jibrin Walid, said Umahi would be disappointed in the APC, noting that it is heartwarming that none of the critical stakeholders in the Ebonyi PDP is defecting with the governor.
“One governor came out to say that he is going out of the PDP for APC for personal reasons. I agree with the NWC that the structure in Ebonyi State is reorganised so that we do not allow him to use the structure of the APC and use the structure of the PDP.
“Let him go alone. Bye bye to him completely. He doesn’t know APC. I am sure APC is going to disappoint him. He doesn’t know that. People are coming to join our party and somebody is leaving the party. I am sorry for him; really sorry for him. After our interaction with the elders from our party in Ebonyi State yesterday, they have assured us that they are not part of that game. They will never go with the governor.”
Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, said the presence of the 15 governors elected on the platform of the party at NEC meeting was a clear statement that they were committed to the unity and stability of the party.
“We’re individually committed to good governance, providing leadership in our respective states, continue to make our party proud, to continue to make our electorate proud and we are repositioning our party for the future with the last drop of our blood.
“We remain committed party members and we shall continue to work with the National Working Committee, the BoT for our party to continue to grow in strength and wax stronger and stronger. “
