PDP: Buhari Has Scammed Nigerians; No, Opposition Is ‘Too Blind With Hatred’ To See President’s Efforts – APC

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of scamming Nigerians with “a list of empty campaign promises.”

The party also accused the Buhari administration of taking the glory for the achievements of the PDP government in the past 16 years.
Chief Olisa Metuh, spokesman of the PDP, speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday advised Nigerians to brace up for more hard times under President Buhari.

“Since the President has insisted on running his government ‎as a sole administrator, making important decisions on national affairs without recourse to relevant statutory arms and organs of government, we are compelled to demand that this administration come out clear on its expenses since assumption of office in May in keeping with its much harped stance on transparency,” he said.

“We make this demand because since the APC took office, the nation’s financial system in the absence of statutory functionaries has been enmeshed in confusion, controversy and fertile atmosphere for financial sleazes. Recall that when it assumed office, this administration raised the issue of empty treasury only for the nation to learn a few days later from the Accountant General of the Federation that about $2.1 billion was left in the Excess Crude Account (ECA).

“When the PDP demanded credit for the ECA savings, the nation was suddenly made aware of huge sums from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas dividends from which the APC-led Federal Government announced financial bailout for states. It is interesting to note that whereas the Presidency has gone ahead to unilaterally deplete the funds without recourse to appropriate statutory arms of government, state governors are on air announcing that they have not received any bailout whatsoever from the centre, raising serious questions on the handling of national resources.

“This is more so as we have information that the Presidency, acting alone, has gone into discussions with the World Bank for a loan of $2.1 billion for purposes unknown to Nigerians. What is the loan for? What are the terms and who are those working the papers? Who are the people to decide on how the money will be spent? Is it true that the $2.1 billion loan is meant to pay back huge contributions for the APC Presidential campaign expenses? If truly this government is transparent, it should come out clear on this loan as well as publicize details of its expenditure in the last two months.

“We are worried that the ineptitude, avoidable inactivity, lack of policy direction and absence of ministers to coordinate government affairs have left the nation’s economy sour with continued slide in the naira which has fallen from under N200 to the dollar in May to an all-time low of N240, in addition to the excruciating loss in the capital market which has lost over N1.1 trillion in the last two months.

“With the recent display of insensitivity in deciding that ministers would be appointed in September, a reneging on the earlier promise to unfold a cabinet two weeks after inauguration, Nigerians should brace up for more economic losses ahead, a development which spells doom for the gains earlier achieved by the PDP administration in growing our economy to be the biggest in Africa and one of the fastest-growing in the world. “Indeed, Nigerians are no longer in doubt that they have been scammed with a long list of empty promises.

This government has failed to articulate any policy direction in any sector. What we see is a smart attempt at cosmetic governance, loud propaganda and artful move to appropriate the achievements made by the PDP-led administration; such as the effort in ending polio, the improvement in power supply which is a dividend from numerous investments by the previous administrations, the return of the railways among others.”

PDP said the only achievements and change brought by the APC government were the curbing of the fundamental human rights of citizens, engaging in selective application of war against corruption, interfering in the activities of the National Assembly and eroding the independence of INEC.

“The order of the day has become the crass victimization and harassment of officials of the immediate-past administration. The recent organized public humiliation of the immediate-past First Lady and wife of the former president, Dame Patience Jonathan at the Port Harcourt airport where she was refused access to the protocol lounge based on ‘order from Abuja’ is a particular case in point.

“We stress this case because when the immediate-past president was in power, all former presidents and their spouses had unhindered access to the protocol lounge.

“While we note that this development has been widely condemned by Nigerians, we ask if the former president erred in conceding defeat. Is the Federal Government by any means encouraging a sit-tight attitude by government officials? Moreover, we have been watching with keen interest the unfolding scenario in INEC where the Presidency has been making every effort to rewrite the Constitution and the law with the singular aim to perpetuate Mrs. Amina Zakari as Chairman in spite of her relationship and closeness to key APC leaders.
“We are also aware of the position of the law and that Mrs. Zakari’s tenure as a member of the commission elapsed on July 21, 2015. As long as Mrs Zakari remains in the commission, it should not be considered as independent and we will not accept any attempt to manipulate the results of the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa, which are known PDP strongholds.

“Finally, we state in clear terms that for the APC, it is a matter of so far, bad change. So far, bad change that the government has failed to articulate any clear policy direction with attendant avoidable confusion and economic downturn; so far, bad change that our dear nation is gradually sliding into a banana republic where the fundamental rights of citizens are being trampled upon and where security agencies have become compromised instruments of oppression in the hands of the ruling party.

“So far, bad change that INEC has now lost its independence and the respect it commanded among electoral stakeholders for the fact of nepotism in appointment of its Chairman; so far, bad change that the National Assembly, the very citadel of our democracy, has fallen under siege by a government which seeks to appropriate its leadership and erode its constitutional independence.

“So far, bad change that the government has reneged on many of its promises to the people and now seeks to hoodwink them with lies, propaganda and governance orchestrations.

“So far, bad change that the people now have to live with the reality that the government had no intention of providing the monthly N5,000 stipend, allowances to the discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members, free meals for school children, 100 million jobs, additional 4 million new homes and bringing the naira to the same value with the dollar among other promises for which they were voted for.

“As a responsible political party that has sustained democracy in the last 16 years, we are in a good position to understand the growing frustration and agitation among the people. However, we appreciate the sense of calm by the citizens especially bearing in mind that this confusion called the APC will end in the next four years.”

PDP is ‘too blind with hatred’ to see President’s efforts

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is “too blind with hatred” to see President Muhammadu Buhari’s hard work with solving the country’s numerous problems.

It also said PDP could not provide any worthwhile opposition to the APC-led Federal Government if its spokesman continues to issue “convoluted and faustian statements” just so that he can be in the news.

”Today’s statement is the most tortuous yet by the PDP and, honestly, sounds more like a compendium of beer-parlour gossips and side talks than a serious criticism of a sitting government,” the APC said in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by Lai Mohammed, its spokesman.

”To be in opposition does not mean you have to constitute yourself into a nuisance by rushing to the press with all sorts of hot-air statements. It is the quality, rather than the frequency, of your interventions that makes you relevant as an opposition in a democracy.”

It said that in the light of the above, the APC would not dignify the latest in a series of confused statements by the PDP with any response.

”We can only say that we have been justified, and indeed prescient, in our earlier offer to organize a crash course for Olisa Metuh so that he can more effectively perform his role as the spokesman of the main opposition party,” the APC said. ”Those who thought we were joking with that offer can now see that indeed, Mr. Metuh is seriously in need of some form of coaching on his new role.” APC said for the record, no government in Nigeria’s recent history had been as focused and systematic as the one headed by President Muhammadu Buhari in restoring good governance, especially coming after the worst stretch of governance, lasting all of 16 years, by the immoral and reckless PDP.

“It is worth noting that even the leader of the world’s foremost democracy, President Barack Obama said that much during the recent visit to the US of President Buhari, when he described him (President Buhari) as a man of integrity with a clear agenda,” it said.

“President Buhari is working hard everyday in the priority areas of tackling security and corruption, rebooting the economy to provide jobs for our teeming youths and generally to restore good governance. We are sorry for those who are too blind with hatred to see this.

“We know that PDP is terrified by the expose of how the Federal Government it led has looted the treasury and created an environment for impunity to thrive, as well as the fate that will befall those who were part of the show of shame and disgust.

”But we assure Nigerians that this government will not interfere with the work of the security and anti-corruption agencies, and also that under the Buhari Administration, only the guilty needs to be afraid.

”In the meantime, no amount of mumbo jumbo from PDP will stop the Buhari Administration from its tough but inevitable task of restoring Nigeria’s lost glory.”