APC not designed for governance —PDP

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has demonstrated that it was never a political party designed for governance and development, but a contraption for oppression and vendetta.

The main opposition party said in a statement issued Kola Ologbondiyan, its national publicity secretary, in Abuja that APC by “its manifest retrogressive, violent and despotic proclivities, has proven to be the clog in our collective quest for national cohesion, happiness and economic prosperity as a people.”

The PDP alleged plans by the ruling party to extend the clampdown on opposition leaders to regular citizens, who have seen through their lies and deception and are in open agitation to vote them out in 2019.

It said: “We note that since the recent boast by President Muhammadu Buhari on his abuse of rights as a military ruler, there has been an escalation of clampdown on citizens, particularly, the opposition, in various parts of our country.

“It is also instructive to note that since it came to power by deceit and propaganda in 2015, the APC has done nothing except actions and comments that promote hatred, violence and daily bloodletting among Nigerians; causing of disharmony among arms and tiers of government in addition to undermining our democratic and security institutions.

“It is also on record that the APC has not formulated any clear-cut programme for good governance; it has never called its government to order in their recklessness, particularly, on the documented abuse of human rights and violation of our constitution and democratic order.

“The APC has never intervened in the bloodletting in various parts of the country, caused to fester by its incompetent and insensitive administration; it has remained aloof, giving credence to allegations that such disturbances serve its purpose of promoting confusion to frustrate the conduct of a credible, free and fair general election.

ALSO READ: We’re set to wrestle power from APC in 2019 ―Tafawa Balewa

“Despite attempts in blaming past administrations, it has since become clear that the on-going barefaced looting of our national treasury, particularly through the sleazy oil subsidy regime under President Buhari’s supervision, coupled with government’s gross incompetence and official highhandedness, are directly responsible for the economic hardship and escalated violence in our nation today.”

The PDP said that the harsh policies of the APC administration, which it noted, have scared away investors and President Buhari’s unrelenting de-marketing of our nation in the international arena, have led to the massive closure of businesses, unprecedented loss of jobs, mass unemployment, dearth of foreign investments and total stagnation of our economy.

“Up till now, the APC has not offered any explanation to the leaked memo detailing the looting of N9 trillion at the NNPC, the budget padding in ministries, departments and agencies, stealing of billions in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) intervention funds,” the PDP stated.

It said it wanted the APC and its leaders to know that “they are not bigger than our nation” as according to the party, Nigerians have already reached a consensus against them “and no amount of harassment, arrests and trampling will cow the citizens in their resolve to vote out APC in 2019.”