The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will have no place in the post-Buhari Nigeria, “given the resolution by Nigerians to return the nation to the path of peace, unity and economic prosperity,” which it noted, can never be attained if a party like APC is allowed to govern beyond 2023.
Giving this position in a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, the party said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to launder the APC to remain in power after his tenure amounts to an effort in futility “as Nigerians are no longer ready to put up with the wickedness of the APC, in its atrocious activities, treasury looting and ‘Janjaweed’ ideology of violence, with which they have held the nation captive in the last six years.”
The main opposition party said that it was informed of how “desperate APC leaders, who have been indicted for treasury looting and aiding of terrorism in our country,” are blackmailing President Buhari to use his media interviews to canvass the perpetuation of APC in power so as to shield them from prosecution at the inevitable end of his tenure in 2023.
The statement added that the party is already aware of how such individuals have been trying to force the president to commence an early campaign for the APC.
It further stated: “While not excusing the personal failures of Mr President as well as the incompetence that embodies the Buhari Presidency, it is incontrovertible that the APC, as a decadent political party, founded on vices of vindictiveness, divisiveness, falsehood, fake promises, electoral manipulations, support for violence, stealing, sectional marginalization and hatred, cannot produce the desired leadership for our nation after President Buhari.
“That is why some individuals, in the APC, who by their backgrounds as religious leaders, community leaders, legal luminaries, rights advocates and moralists who should be speaking out in the face of misrule, have rather have found themselves entangled in APC Bermuda Triangle of violence and corruption, where they have ignobly become apostles of falsehood, corruption, injustice as well as backers of acts of terrorism in our country.
“Mr President should know that Nigerians are not ready to be beguiled again to further entrust the destiny of our nation in the hands of the APC, which has in the last six years, superintended over the looting of over N25.1 trillion from various ministries, agencies and department of government; leading to the ruining of our once robust economy.
“Nigerians are invited to note how the President Buhari-led APC administration has failed to prosecute APC leaders and their agents indicted in the reported disappearance of N10.1 trillion from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in March this year, the N9.6 trillion NNPC scam, the reported N1.1 trillion crude oil fraud, alleged N1.4 trillion fuel subsidy scam, the N500 billion Social Intervention fraud exposed by the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, as well as massive looting in FIRS, NEMA, EFCC, NDDC, NPA, NIMASA, NHIS and other agencies of government.
“This is in addition to reports of how APC, as a party, is behind the importation of terrorist elements and emboldening of terrorist activities, arbitrary arrests and sudden disappearances of dissenting voices, sectional marginalization, political killings, escalated abuse of human rights including the clampdown on our youths during the EndSARS protest as well as the stifling of social media in our country.
“That is why the APC has never raised a strong voice against acts of terrorism, killings, electoral violence and treasury looting.
“Mr President should therefore stop wasting his time trying to launder the APC. He should know that Nigerians have moved beyond APC’s gimmicks and that is why they are rallying on the platform of the PDP to rescue our nation from misrule.”
• APC’s borrowing spree can lead Nigeria to bankruptcy ― PDP governors
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state governors have warned the All Progressive Congress (APC) administration that its rate of borrowing can lead the country into bankruptcy and leave a huge burden for coming generations.
Rising from their meeting under the aegis of PDP Governors Forum (PDP-GF) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state on Monday, they frowned at the N36 trillion current debt profile coming after the previous PDP administration had eliminated foreign debt.
A communique released at the end of the meeting, which deliberated in particular on the deteriorating economic and security situation in the country, and worsening social and political tensions, said: “The PDP Governors frowned at the rising and seemingly uncontrollable debt profile of Nigeria with over 80% of normal Appropriation spent on debt servicing.
“All the gains of the PDP Government under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, where Nigeria exited its foreign debt obligations has been destroyed.
“Borrowing for frivolous items such as funding the Nigerian Television Authority is scandalous. Money should only be borrowed for productive purposes as Nigeria’s current debt of over N36 Trillion Naira is becoming clearly unsustainable relative to our earnings and GDP.
“We should not saddle incoming generations with the undue debt burden. The borrowing spree of the APC administration if unchecked will certainly lead Nigeria into avoidable bankruptcy.”
The governors expressed alarm at the opaque manner of the operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), condemning its decision not to remit statutory contributions to the Federation Account, thereby starving states of funds.
The communique added: “The Forum examined the operations of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and expressed alarm at the opaque manner it carries out its operations.
“It decried the recent NNPCs decision not to make its statutory contributions to the Federation Account, thereby starving the States and Local Governments and indeed Nigerians of funds needed for employment, development and general wellbeing.
“The meeting emphasised that under the Constitution, the NNPC is duty-bound to make proceeds of sale or business of Petroleum available to the Federation Account which belongs to the three tiers of government, excluding reasonable and verified and verifiable cost of operations.
“The Federal government through NNPC is a manager of our oil wealth merely as A Trustee for all Nigerians.
“The meeting frowned at a situation where the NNPC decides in a totally discretionary and often whimsical manner, how much to spend, how to spend it and how much to remit to the Federation Account, contrary to the letters and even the spirit of the 1999 Constitution.”
The governors called on other agencies of government such as Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Federal Inland Revenue Services, Customs and Excise and similar organisations that are statutorily required to make contributions into the Federation Account, to do more.
They recommended that federating states should, going forward, now have a say in the determination of operating costs to ensure transparency and accountability.
The meeting called for urgent steps to reverse what the governors called “these ugly trends in the practice of our democracy, constitutionalism and Federalism.”
The PDP governors also expressed deep concerns on the operational system and methods of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which they said now publicly threatens state governments.
The communique further said: “It viewed with regrets that the CBN is operating as an independent government within a Government, which is a pervasion of the autonomy of the Bank.
“A situation where CBN creates money, decides how much of it to spend, on what to spend it on without any form of controls or supervision is patently subversive of our constitutional order.
“It has become not just a Leviathan, but also a father Christmas of sorts, dabbling into every sphere and scope of governmental activity, not just as a lender of last resort, but as a full executing agency of government.
“The meeting observed that the CBN has become such an octopus that it threatens State governments publicly, without decorum, about sanctions on any attempt to question its Modus Operandi.
“The CBN should take immediate steps to halt the depreciation of the Naira.”
The Forum reiterated its call, “which seem to have fallen on deaf ears,” for the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to urgently send the revised Revenue Allocation Formula to the President for onward transmission to the National Assembly for enactment, such that more resources are made available to States and Local Governments where ordinary Nigerians reside.
It called on the Chairman and Members of the Commission to resign or be relieved of their duties if they cannot discharge this sacred constitutional duty entrusted by the Nigerian people to it.
According to the governors, the present constitutional amendment process should make the Commission more independent and accountable to all stakeholders.
The meeting expressed support for the implementation of judicial and legislative autonomy in the Federation and States, in conformity with the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
The meeting also called for more involvement of states in mining and geophysical activities within their states, arguing that this is necessary not just to curtail harm to the environment but to further diversify the Nigerian economy and complement Oil as a foreign exchange earner for Nigeria.
The PDP governors further reviewed the emerging threats to our democracy, constitutionalism and rule of law and cautioned the Federal Government to exercise power with restraint.
“The need for law and order is paramount to secure our nation but mindless killings of innocent civilians should be avoided and is hereby condemned. It is in the same vein that the meeting reiterated its earlier revulsion at any attack on security personnel and their property anywhere in the country as a criminal and egregious act for which perpetrators should be brought to book,” the communique stated.
The meeting also examined the suspension of Twitter from operating in Nigeria and condemned what it referred to as the personalised reasons given for the action.
The communique added: “The mere ego of Mr President is not enough for such a drastic action that deprives millions of Nigerians of such an affordable means of expression and communication. We hope that this is not a harbinger or early warning signs of descent into dictatorship.
“The meeting noted that social media regulation can only be done within the existing laws on the subject and should not be used as an attempt to punish or gag Nigerians from enjoying constitutionally guaranteed rights.
“Nigerian youths do not have adequate access to employment and a lot of Nigerians rely on Twitter for their livelihood, businesses and self-employment.
“This will further worsen Nigeria’s 33 per cent unemployment rate which is the highest in the world, improve Nigeria’s ranking as the country with the second-highest poverty rate in the entire world, all of which happened under APC’s unfortunate stewardship.
“The meeting consequently requested Mr President to review the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria in the national interest.”
The meeting further called on the APC-led Federal government to think outside the box and find solutions to the challenges facing electricity supply in Nigeria as it observed that the current system is certainly not delivering the power needed for Nigeria’s rapid industrialisation.
On the recurring question of insecurity of lives and property in Nigeria, the PDP governors reiterated the need to decentralise the operations of the security apparatus of state even within the existing legal framework, to ensure the input of local operators in State and Local Governments in policing and security.
The governors lamented “the fact that Mr President seems not to be aware that the coercive instruments of State security is firmly within his hands and not the Governors, considering his recent media interview on the subject.”
The meeting reminded Mr President that he has ultimate authority under the Constitution over security organisations, even though the States have a role to play.
The communique further posited: “Cooperation and synergy between States and the Federal Government in security operations are critical in securing Nigeria.
“In any case, even though, Police is on the Exclusive List, the States, as a practical matter spend huge sums of money to support the security agencies to carry out their duties.
“The need for an appropriate legal framework to involve the States in policing has become even more urgent by the day.
“To this end, we reiterate our call for the National Assembly to expedite action in passing the Electoral Act and Constitution amendments to ensure restructuring and decentralisation of governmental powers and functions.”
The communique praised the host governor, Udom Emmanuel, noting that he has brought prudence, innovation and competence in the management of state resources, with major landmark projects and interventions, and thanked him for being a wonderful host.
Governors who attended the meeting are Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto) who is the chairman of the forum, Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Sen. Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Nyesom Wike, (Rivers), Engr. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde (Oyo), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Arc Darius Ishaku (Taraba) and the Deputy Governor of Zamfara state, Mahdi Mohammed.
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