The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari and his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of already laying landmines that may cause serious problems in the new year.
In his New Year messages contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the media adviser to the chairman, Ike Abonyi, he also warned Nigerians to brace up for more exhibition of dictatorial tendencies by the present administration.
Secondus alleged that the judiciary has been caged while the legislature was ready and willing to rubber-stamp whatever comes from the executive.
The statement also noted that the media and the opposition had been intimidated and therefore warned Nigerians to “await the fang of a dictator wearing the apparel of a democrat.”
The statement said that “with the huge loan demands passing through the National Assembly without scrutiny coupled with the accompanying high taxation bills from the executive, 2020 portends further hard times for Nigerians.”
According to the opposition leader, 2020 is going to be tough “with the high level of corruption already rated by experts to be worse under this administration as they continue to look away to reported cases of fraud involving high profile members of the regime.
“Added to this is the ineptitude that has engulfed the oil sector and various agencies of government as square pegs are put in round holes at the expense of merits.”
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Reviewing the activities of the past twelve months in the country, Secondus lamented that 2019 “remains the worst year for democracy in our land.”
He noted that the worst form of vandalism was done to democracy and rule of law in our country in the outgoing year and blamed it on the anti-democratic forces “being breed and nurtured by the APC to achieve their one-party agenda for the country.”
The PDP boss said “the rape done to democracy in 2019 during the February and March general elections set the nation’s democratic journey many years backward and laid the foundation for a wobbling 2020 politically and economically.”
“The use of the military in the election matters and the intimidation and harassment of democratic institutions that was climaxed in the burning to death Mrs Salome Acheju Abu in Kogi state last November continues to raise concern over citizens right to vote under this regime.”
Secondus noted that in the out-going year, “the APC administration dragged down the country and many are no longer proud to hold the national passport.”
He, however, urged Nigerians to refuse to be deterred by the impunity and provocative attitude of the ruling APC “whose agenda is to run a despotic regime disregarding the rule of law and tenets of democracy.”
The National Chairman appealed to all critical stakeholders in the nation’s democracy particularly the media and civil society groups to remain alert to their responsibilities and hold APC administration accountable in 2020 as its curious open visa policy has dubious political undertone.
While wishing Nigerians a prosperous 2020, Secondus charged members and leaders of PDP to put all hands on deck in the new year as the task ahead “is enormous but surmountable with God on the side of the just.”
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