The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed hope that the coalition would unseat President Muhammadu Buhari.
The National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, last Saturday.
He said the plan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was for the coalition to fail, but added that all the parties involved in it remained committed to its success.
“We have passed the stage of doubting. We are on a critical stage of implementation and with the commitment we have seen so far, we will sack President Muhammadu Buhari next year,” he added.
Secondus also allayed the fears of members of the party and others, over the high number of its presidential aspirants.
He told one of our correspondents that the party would manage the primary in such a way that its outcome would be acceptable to every aspirant.
Secondus said he told all the aspirants that neither Buhari nor members of the National Working Committee of the party had any favourite aspirants.
The PDP boss said, “We have no preferred candidate. All of them are eminently qualified to run. What we will do is to provide the enabling environment that would make the delegates pick or elect candidates of their choice.
“Unlike the APC where no one is attempting to challenge President Buhari, our doors are open here. The PDP is a part of all Nigerians.”
There are about 10 aspirants currently jostling to pick the sole presidential ticket of the PDP at the moment.
Among the aspirants are a former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar; Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo; and a former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Others are, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki; a former governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi and a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu (SAN).
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, described the more than three years of President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration as a failure “in every sector of our national life.”
The party stressed that information before it both “locally and internationally, confirm that the Buhari administration has failed woefully in all its promises and claims, particularly on the fight against corruption, economy, security, democracy as well as national unity and cohesion.”
In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, the PDP said claim by the Federal Government that it is fighting corruption has been exposed as a charade designed to hound perceived political opponents.
“Instead of fighting corruption, this administration is practically a felonious empire of corrupt individuals, certificate forgers, contract inflators, looters of treasuries and well-known liars, making it, ‘head to toe’, the biggest assemblage of plunderers in the history of our nation.
“We ask, if, Mr. President is indeed a man of integrity, as his handlers want the world to believe, why is he comfortable employing, embracing, surrounding himself with and offering protection to corrupt persons, certificate forgers and liars as ministers, advisers and political associates?
“Are there things Mr. President benefits or has in common with such individuals that attract them to him or for which they enjoy his cover to steal public funds in parastatals, agencies and ministries, particularly those under the direct supervision of the President?
“Largely, due to the incompetence and corruption of the Buhari Presidency, our once robust economy has been wrecked, resulting in unbearable hardship, unemployment, hunger and starvation, strange sicknesses and untold depression with compatriots resorting to suicide missions and slavery as options.
“Under President Buhari, our nation has become dangerously divided. Violent clashes and bloodletting has become the order of the day. Rights of citizens are daily violated; democratic institutions, including the courts and the National Assembly have come under attack; elections are rigged with impunity; the unity of our beloved country is now under stress,” the statement read in part.
The party further chided the President for not doing enough in the provision of services to Nigerians in line with his electioneering promises.
It added, “Mr. President has been going around the country shopping for projects executed by other persons, including PDP governors, to commission,” even as it challenged both the Presidency and the APC to an open debate on governance, promising to “expose the failures of the APC and Buhari Presidency to Nigerians.”
In a related development, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Nigeria Police to come out clear on the ‘fact-finding’ invitation extended to Former Aviation Minister, Femi, Fani Kayode, to appear on Tuesday for “alleged conspiracy, criminal defamation and inciting publication.”
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, PDP said while it is not against any lawful step by the police in carrying out its duties, that “the police must ensure that it is not being used by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in its desperate quest to muzzle free speech and subjugate Nigerians, particularly the opposition, ahead of the 2019 general election.”
According to the statement, the police invitation was unclear on the specifics of the “conspiracy, criminal defamation and inciting publication likely to cause breach of peace.”
PDP, therefore, urged the police to “come out clear on why it has invited Chief Kayode and resist attempts by the APC to entangle it with controversial political issues.”
The statement partly reads thus: “This is particularly as the letter inviting Chief Kayode did not state in specific terms, the alleged issues or conduct bordering on conspiracy, criminal defamation, inciting publication, injurious falsehood and conduct likely to cause breach of peace”, for which he has been invited.
“We hope that the invitation is not a set up and part of the design to emasculate citizens, which is now being unleashed on media houses, journalists and other citizens for alleged comments and publications considered to be against the interest of the ruling party.
“This is because reports, already available in credible media, have it that Chief Kayode’s invitation ‘may not be unconnected’ with an interview he granted the Africa Independent Television (AIT) where he reportedly controverted claims by the Presidency and the APC that it was Senate President Bukola Saraki that masterminded the widely condemned invasion of the National Assembly.
“Moreover, the recent detention of the Premium Times reporter, the arraignment of Senator Isah Misau for allegedly making injurious statement against the IG of Police, the invitation of Mr. Kassim Afegbua, the spokesman of former military President Ibrahim Babangida for issuing a statement considered critical to this administration and the recent demolition of the studio of Flash FM in Ibadan, Oyo State capital for allegedly airing materials considered against the interest of the APC in the state, readily come to mind.
“We, therefore, urge the Police to come out clear on why it has invited Chief Kayode and resist attempts by the APC to entangle it with controversial political issues,” the party said.