Politics
APC Gov’t Claiming Credit For Our Projects – PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party, in Abuja, on Monday, (PDP) accused the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) of claiming credit over projects it initiated or implemented.
The reaction came hours after a press conference by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in which he listed the federal government’s achievements including food sufficiency, particularly in rice production.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed this in a statement he signed late Monday titled ‘Lai Mohammed’s press conference, another APC’s anthology of lies – PDP’.
The main opposition dismissed “the press conference addressed March 28, 2022, by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, as another anthology of lies, false and bogus performance claims by the failed and rudderless APC administration.
“It is ludicrous that the APC government went to the media to list non-existence roads, bridges, agricultural and health projects as achievements. More pathetic is the APC’s attempt to claim credit for development projects initiated and implemented by successive PDP administrations including in our railways, aviation, agricultural, healthcare, education, telecommunications, banking and manufacturing sectors among others.
“The APC government is also claiming credit for critical projects in various parts of the country which are being funded by resources mobilized by the PDP administrations under the framework of counterpart funding from International Partners and bodies.”
The PDP also accused the Minister of displaying arrogance over claims that the APC-led government had achieved food sufficiency, particularly in rice production, at a time when the country battled “famine with the price of food items, especially rice soaring by over 400 per cent.
It noted that a bag of rice that sold for N7,500 under the PDP now sold for over N30,000; a measure of bean which sold for N350 under the PDP now sold for over N1000; a measure of garri which sold for N120 under the PDP now sold for N700; a bottle of palm oil which sold for N250 under the PDP now sold for over N1000.
In the same vein, a kilo of meat which sold for N700 under the PDP now sold for N3000; a litre of petrol which sold for N87 under the PDP now sold for N400 to N500 while a litre of diesel which sold for N110 under the PDP now sold for over N800.
“Yet Lai Mohammed provocatively claims that Nigerians are better off under the APC. Nigerians know better and the question to ask is, is your life better now in 2022 under the APC than it was in 2015 under the PDP?” it queried.
The main opposition maintained that the only legitimate achievements of the APC government include “its corruption record (second most corrupt in West Africa and 154 out of 180 in Global Corruption Index), over 33 per cent unemployment rate, a weakened currency at over N500 to a dollar, N33tn foreign debt and still counting and the siphoning of over N16tn by APC leaders.”
It, therefore, cautioned the governing party to note that its continued arrogance in failure is daily confronting and reminding Nigerians of the statement made by one of its founding members, the late Tony Momoh in April 2016 and the consequences are better imagined.
During a press conference held in Owerri, the coalition called the campaign a “dangerous and shameful display” designed to distract the public from the governor’s performance in office.
The CSOs directly linked the Greater Imo Initiative (GII) —the group that made the allegations on September 4, 2025—to Governor Uzodimma, describing the group as his “mouthpiece and attack dog.”
“Every word spoken against INEC was spoken on his behalf.
“By falsely alleging that Professor Yakubu has an alliance with Dr. Amadi to compromise the 2027 elections, Uzodimma has not only maligned a man of proven integrity but also assaulted the very foundation of our democracy”, said Dr Agbo Frederick, speaking for the coalition.
The coalition described Professor Yakubu as a “beacon of electoral professionalism” and called the attempt to soil his reputation “defamatory and a national security risk.”
They also defended Dr. Amadi, a “respected development scholar,” stating that the governor’s accusations were “laughable, desperate, and dangerous.”
The CSOs see the motive behind the campaign as an attempt to “silence the dissent, intimidate the opposition, and divert attention from the governor’s abysmal record in office.”
The coalition issued four key demands to Governor Uzodimma: An immediate retraction of the false and defamatory allegations against Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Dr. Chima Amadi.
- A public apology to both men within seven days, to be published in at least three national newspapers and broadcast on major television networks.
- An end to diversionary tactics and proxy propaganda.
- A renewed focus on governance, including addressing insecurity, unemployment, and poverty in Imo State.
The CSOs warned that failure to comply would force them to “review our position with a view to seeking legal redress from Governor Uzodimma for defamation, false accusation, and reckless endangerment of lives.”
“Governor Uzodimma must be reminded that he did not find himself in the seat of power to chase shadows.
“We call on all Nigerians to reject Uzodimma’s diversionary antics as they are nothing short of desperate plots by a government terrified of accountability”, the statement concluded.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC expressed concern that preventing the senator from resuming her legislative duties violates democratic principles and disenfranchises her constituents.
“The suspension, having been imposed by the Senate and not a court of law, has lapsed. Any further attempt to prevent her from resuming is therefore both illegal and morally indefensible,” Mallam Abdullahi said.
The party noted that denying Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan access to the chamber silences the voice of the people who elected her, adding that the withdrawal of her salary, aides, and office access during the suspension amounted to excessive punishment.
The ADC also criticised the Clerk of the National Assembly for declining to process her resumption on grounds that the matter was before the courts, arguing that the Clerk’s role was administrative, not judicial.
“Administrative caution must not translate into complicity. When the administrative machinery becomes hostage to political interests, the institution itself is diminished,” the party stated.
Highlighting that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan is one of only four women in the 109-member Senate, the ADC warned that the handling of the case sends a discouraging signal about gender inclusion in Nigerian politics.
“Any action that resembles gender intimidation of the few women in the Senate would only discourage women’s participation. Nigeria cannot claim to be a democracy while excluding half of its population from key decision-making spaces,” Mallam Abdullahi added.
The ADC insisted that Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan be allowed to resume her seat immediately, stressing that the matter was about more than one individual.
“What is at stake here is not just one Senate seat, but the integrity of our democracy itself,” the party said.