Economic hardship: Stop reckless utterances, APC tells PDP governors

The All Progressives Congress National Working Committee has described as reckless, statement attributed to the governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign from office if he could not fix the economy.

Reacting to the Governors’ demand, National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka in a statement on Sunday said the governors blaming President Tinubu of inefficiency are also bereft of ideas in turning around the lives of citizens in their respective states.

“Like all citizens, governors are entitled to free speech. However, that right must be exercised against a standard of respectability and reasonableness. Reckless utterances capable of inflaming passions and social upheaval must be avoided. Likening Nigeria to Venezuela as the PDP governors did in a recent communique, even under the prevailing challenging economic and security contexts of Nigeria, is unhelpful and smacks of unrighteous indignation.

“Rather than live up to their responsibilities as chief executive officers of Nigeria’s federating units, the PDP governors have turned themselves into a band of doomsday vocalists, raising their voices to deafening decibels intended to drown the groans of their citizens battered by their critical inertia, ineptitude and dismal performance as governors of their states.

“As the federal buck ‘ultimately stops’ at the President’s table so the state buck “ultimately stops” at the governors’ table. The PDP governors’ call to the President to throw in the towel is nothing short of self-indictment. It is cringeworthy that the same governors that have never justified the massive federal allocations to their states, that have perennially stifled and dispossessed local government administrations of federally allocated funds are talking about “buck”. How can a governor of a state in utter shambles like Delta participate, barefaced, in a talk about “buck”? Has the PDP governor of Delta state even attempted to justify the over 483.57 billion naira federal allocation to the state in 2023? Which part or sector of Delta state bears witness to the use of that huge allocation? Delta state retirees have remained desperately pulverized by PDP’s uninterrupted reckless rule since the advent of this Republic in 1999.

“Since the buck also stops at the PDP governors’ table at the state level, they should practice what they preach by resigning from their offices rather than blaming the federal administration for their utter failure to mobilise massive resources at their disposal to improve the living conditions of their people.

“President Bola Tinubu is taking responsibility and providing solid leadership in this historic season of deep and enduring economic transformation in our country. The administration has initiated bold and far-reaching reforms that are indispensable to economic recovery, sustainable growth and prosperity. Our people are going through transient but painful difficulties that the administration is supremely determined to mitigate as these policies begin to yield the desired results.

“Nigerians deserve to live in peace and security, with access to basic social and economic amenities. Our party and administration urge patience during these turbulent times as our nation soars unstoppably to firmer grounds and a more prosperous future. “