The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Iyorchia Ayu, has predicted that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will collapse by March/April 2023.
The newly inaugurated boss of the main opposition party made the declaration while addressing Benue PDP stakeholders at the weekend in Government House, Makurdi, Benue State.
While describing the ruling party as “a contraption,” Ayu also reiterated his position that PDP will win at least 25 state governorships, come 2023.
According to a statement issued by his media office and made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, the former Senate president also assured the stakeholders, who included governorship aspirants, that the party will not impose candidates on the people in the 2023 general elections.
The statement quoted him as saying: “By March/April 2023, there will be no APC in Nigeria. APC is a contraption, a contraption to win power, but they have no programme or any ideological position on what to do with power.
“Therefore, we will be coming back in every state and at the federal level to take over power, with a coherent programme of action, and with which we will implement workable policies as we were doing before.”
Ayu was full of praises for the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, saying he has followed the footsteps of the late Moses Adasu in supporting his political aspiration.
He dismissed reports of competition between himself and ex-Senate President David Mark, saying it was actually Mark who told him to go for the PDP national chairmanship.
The party boss further said: “I am telling you this story because it shows that at any one time we are united in Benue, definitely, Nigeria will not ignore us.
“This is not the first time we have attained victory by our collective effort. In 2019, when they said there was federal might, we said the allied forces of Benue were ready for the federal might. And we defeated that federal might.”
While calling for party unity and respect for popular decisions, Ayu said: “I urge us to continue to work together. Don’t be afraid of Federal might. The Allied Forces of Benue are still as united as ever. And today, we are even stronger.
“I believe whoever emerges as a candidate for any elective position, once the list is forwarded to Abuja, I don’t want Gov. Ortom or his candidates to come to the lobby. This is because the decision of Benue people will be respected at all times.”
On the deplorable security situation in the country, especially the daily killings, he regretted the fate of Nigerians but encouraged them not to lose hope as the PDP is coming to rescue and rebuild the battered country.
“Do not lose hope, Nigerians. Do not lose hope in Nigeria just because a small group of people have come to destroy her. Let us join hands and get rid of them, and reclaim and rebuild our country,” he declared.
Ayu urged party faithful to work at the ward levels as the PDP commences its rescue mission for the country.
Meanwhile, the PDP has described the APC as a party of warlords with irreconcilable differences.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba, who said this in a chat with journalists in Abuja, also alleged that the ruling party had become numb to violence, hence its tepid response to incidences of bloodshed around the country.
Asked why he described them as warlords, he explained: “It is important that I say something clearly- the APC is not a party. It is a conglomeration of strange bedfellows. That is why you find out that everything that they do is consistent with their confusion.
“Because, they are strange bedfellows, no consensus, no ideology, no common purpose, no common mission. Therefore, it is very difficult for them to come together. There are irreconcilable differences between them.
“If you find a party that can reconcile itself and come out with the outcome of the national convention, it means, that if all Nigeria is handed over to the PDP, then it can solve all the contradiction in Nigeria- ethnicism, religious consideration, tribal consideration.
“PDP has collectively agreed to be democratic, to do the right thing, to follow rules and their regulations and more importantly to follow their constitution. APC does not. And everywhere they go, they defy the constitution. They have no respect for life and property.”
The party spokesman noted that the APC has become numb to violence and has gone on vacation despite the rampant bloodshed in the country.
Ologunagba added: “It goes the second question about numbness to violence, numbness to bloodshed. Anywhere in the world that you find a leadership that is truly a leadership, they won’t go on vacation, during a crisis.
“When you have destruction happen to countries, the president of that country is expected to step forward as a consoler-in-chief. But in Nigeria, there is an absolute lack of leadership. That is why find 40, 50 people dying every day and it looks like normal.
“We have a leadership that has gone on vacation, Nigeria is in disintegration under a retired general. What an irony? A president who does not care.
When people are killed rather than sympathize, they blame them. You recall farmers that were killed in their farms sometime ago. Somebody said they didn’t get permission to their farms. What kind of people do we have in leadership? But Nigerians know better and they want to change.”
On the constant refrain by the ruling party that the PDP left the country in a mess after 16 years in power, the party spokesman argued: “Again, some of this can be laughable. When you find a man that is always finding fault, then you should watch him again.
“Anyway, PDP put this country on the path of the successive progressive movement in the areas of the economy, security etc. PDP digitalised Nigeria.
“In the area of the economy, the PDP put in place well thought out programmes and policies that brought about stability in microeconomic policies of this country and we are all witnesses to it.
“Today the price of rice is N35,000 plus. That makes life completely unbearable for Nigerians. Government is a continuum. If a government is incapable, why seek election? If you don’t want the heat, don’t go near the fire. This business is about seriousness.
“The APC and the group in government, you know better than me, that they are not serious. That is why they are having problems. They have no vision. They have no mission. They have no agenda. They came into government through propaganda and lies. That is why they can’t deal with the truth.”
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APC will collapse in March/April 2023 ― Ayu