Ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which opens in London today, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to use the forum to inform other world leaders of the depressing state of affairs in Nigeria under his watch.
In a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary, in Abuja yesterday, the party urged him to resist what it called the temptation of seeking to impress world leaders with false performance indices, but should present the real situation,
“particularly the pitiable state of our economy, escalated insecurity, human rights abuses, daily bloodletting, persecution of opposition and erosion of democratic values in the last three years.”
It said President Buhari should not forget to inform CHOGM that back home, there is a national indignation and general vote of no confidence against his administration for its abysmal performance and failure to fulfil the littlest in the long list of bogus promises they made during the 2015 Presidential campaign.
The opposition party also advised President Buhari to inform other world leaders that due to the harsh economic policies and gross incompetence of his administration, “our once robust economy, internationally rated as one of the fasted growing in the world and one of the best investment destinations, collapsed in his hands and went into a recession; that infrastructures are collapsing and that all sectors of public and private lives are now in shambles.”
The statement added: “He should not forget to tell the world that not only has he failed in his false promise to increase the value of naira from N1 to 1USD, his government has wrecked our currency from N160-N170 it met it in 2015 to a devastating N350-N400, with attendant horrible pressure on the economy.
“Mr President should not forget to inform CHOGM that under his administration, more than 16 million Nigerians became unemployed, 18 million more became underemployed while another 27.44 million refused to work in 2016 for various reasons not unrelated to frustration in the polity.
“Our dear President, who is already seeking re-election, should not forget to tell the world that due to his harsh policies, the middle class has been wiped off, families are in distress; hunger, poverty and strange diseases are now ravaging our people to the extent that Nigerians, once considered the happiest people on earth, are now resorting to slavery and suicide as options.
“President Buhari should not shy away from informing the world that his administration has failed in guaranteeing the safety of lives and property; that under his watch, our dear nation has become one of the most insecure countries to live in; bloodletting, violent attacks and sectorial crisis have become the order of the day; insurgents and marauders are having field day pillaging innocent citizens while our land has practically transformed into a large funeral parlour.
“Furthermore, President Buhari must tell the world that he has woefully failed in his much-touted fight against corruption; that his
the administration is merely engaged in the personal vendetta, direct persecution and media trial of opposition members, while known corrupt persons in the All Progressives Congress (APC) continue to enjoy the official cover of his Presidency.
“He should not forget to confess that his administration has done nothing about the Presidency cabal involved in the alleged stealing of N9 trillion ($25billion dollars) in NNPC and billions of naira National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) intervention funds.”
The PDP, therefore, urged the President not to allow his handlers to mislead him to colour his presentation at CHOGM as such will detract from his integrity as a leader.
“As for us in the repositioned PDP, we will continue to stand with Nigerians in their collective quest to end the APC misrule and return the nation to the path of truth, national cohesion and economic prosperity, come 2019,” the party stated.
In another development The Peoples Democratic Party has berated President Muhammadu Buhari for allegedly insulting Nigerians who criticised the way he handles insurgency as well as governance in the country.
The former ruling party said it was shocking that rather than being responsive to the views of the citizens, the Presidency resorted to abusing Nigerians had put their trust and confidence in the President.
It said those who trusted him three years ago with their votes were lamenting that his administration had failed abysmally.
The spokesperson for the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.
Buhari had claimed that herdsmen in the country were trained by the late Libyan leader, Muammah Gadaffi.
Buhari’s media, Mr. Femi Adesina, had also criticised those who paid attention to the problem rather than the solution he said the President proffered in a statement.
Ologbodiyan said, “Rather than offering explanations, the Buhari Presidency, in the All Progressives Congress usual arrogance and disdain, opted to insult Nigerians, including federal legislators as well as the institution of the National Assembly.
“But Nigerians are still demanding answers. If the Buhari administration knew, in the course of the last three years, that the nation has been invaded by forces from outside or even deserters from Libya, why has it continued to admonish Nigerians to learn to live with their neighbours?
“If, in the course of investigations, it (Buhari Presidency) discovered that the insurgents were from outside Nigeria, why is the government reportedly paying ransoms to them and even considering amnesty options?
“Is it part of governance to pay ransom to invaders? These are the questions that Nigerians expect the Buhari Presidency to answer.”
Also, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike says there is no second chance for the All Progressives Congress (APC) against 2019 elections.
Wike during the Rivers South East Senatorial District Rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that endorsed him for 2019 on Saturday at Bori urged the people to vote the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government out of power.
The Rivers State Governor said the APC has failed in all its electoral promises and should be shown the way out.
“Thousands are dying every day in Benue, Nassarawa and Kogi states. So there is no second chance again for them for more people to die. “
He however said that his administration has fulfilled his promises to the people during his campaign in 2015.
Wike, while accusing the APC led government for failing to fulfill its promises, reminded the Ogonis the failure of the federal government to remediate their environment and plans to site prisons in Ogoniland.
He urged the people of the district to stand up and defend their votes in the upcoming elections emphasising that, “whatever they want we are equal to the task.”
Woke assured the senatorial district that he will not disappoint them, as he continues in his developmental drive in the state.
Meanwhile, Senator Lee Meeba has stated that there was no alternative to Governor Wike in 2019.
“This rally serves as a warning to those looking for governorship from this district,” he said.