By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the newly inaugurated leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has shown early signs that it is not different from the immediate-past and sacked leadership of the party.
In a statement issued at the weekend by National Secretary of the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), John James Akpanudoedehe, responding to the comments by the new PDP Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, that APC should prepare to vacate Presidential Villa, the ruling party said there is no hope for viable opposition yet.
The statement titled ‘APC: Loot Recovery, Viable Opposition, The Tasks before Ayu-Led PDP’, the ruling party said going by the utterances and direction of the new PDP leadership, any hope of a refocused opposition party expected to atone for misdeeds on the country when it was in government for 16 years and as a failed opposition party following PDP’s sack in 2015, has now been quickly dashed.
APC said it is clear now that the PDP’s sole intent is power grabbing by any means, arguing that the opposition party has ignored the need for genuine restitution, return of stolen public funds and assets still in possession of politically exposed persons during its 16-year administration.
It said PDP has also ignored the ultimate responsibility of providing a truly viable and credible opposition Nigeria’s democracy needs to thrive today.
To this end, the ruling party said the PDP’s new leadership must prove to Nigerians that it is willing and ready to discard its penchant for impunity by submitting to the new democratic environment entrenched by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government where votes count and the will of the people prevails in all electoral contests.
APC said in the statement that “This is the task before the new Senator Iyorchia Ayu-led PDP. Not empty and tired rhetorics of 2023 handover notes.
“The sit-tight syndrome headlined by the PDP’s ill-fated third-term agenda has been discarded as an undemocratic template. President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians and the international community of free and fair elections in 2023, even as he pledged peaceful transfer of power. That is the stuff of true progressives and statesmanship.
“The priority of this administration has been clearing the national rot left behind by the PDP’s shambolic handling of insecurity in its early days, its financial heist under the guise of procuring military weapons, fuel subsidy rackets, diverted loans, voodoo economics, abuse of public institutions and electoral fraud.”
In addition, the APC said despite obvious challenges on its path, President Buhari’s government is successfully clearing the rot and returning the country to its deserved place, saying this includes continuous electoral reforms and non interference in the functions of INEC.
Others it said are: institutional reforms which have ensured financial autonomy for local government councils; financial autonomy of state legislatures and judiciaries; assenting the long-delayed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA); infrastructure revolution in road, rail and air transportation; implementing social investments programmes thereby financially empowering millions, particularly poor Nigerians, among others.
