PDP backs Abaribe’s call for Buhari’s resignation

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has thrown its weight behind the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s call for President Muhammadu Buhari to resign because he has allegedly failed to tackle insecurity in the country.

The National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, gave this position in an interactive session with the media in Abuja on Wednesday night, asserting that the president has been overwhelmed by the situation.

He maintained that the main opposition party will resist any attempt to keep it silent and as well called on the media to speak up instead of relying on government propaganda.

While noting the deteriorating security situation in the country, Secondus said: “More people are suffering, the unemployment rate has gone to the highest in the country, the insecurity is such that you can no longer travel by road from Abuja to Kaduna. That’s a typical example. Even the train is now threatened.

“So, we are in total support if the minority leader’s position in the Senate that called for the President to resign because he has failed.

“He is overwhelmed by the security challenges and so the PDP backs the minority leader’s position that if we can’t secure lives and properties, which is the first charge of any government, then with honour, it is only in this black country, in the black world that people don’t like to take the right step. It is not humiliating for anyone to say, I have tried my best, I can no longer go forward, let somebody else come and try.

“We are not calling for government to collapse, but if the president can no longer assure the population of Nigerians that they are safe, and a typical example and to crown it all, is that people no longer have the right to vote and be safe.

“And so we want to plead with our brothers, the media, those who are here and those who are outside here, media executives, owners of media houses and electronic media, that unless they rise to the occasion and stand with the ordinary people, the country cannot move forward,” he added.

Secondus observed that governance has been challenging to the present administration in the past four years, noting that government under the All Progressive Congress (APC) has turned the nation into a dictatorship.

He further said: “As we can see and observed in the last four years of the current regime, we can see that issues of good governance have been a terrible challenge for this country.

“What we have experienced now is a direct dictatorship by the APC government. The lack of good governance in our country is the cause of the insecurity, is the cause of the underdevelopment, is the cause of the suffering of the masses and the press cannot keep quiet neither will we and the other political parties keep quiet.

“They may try to silence us but we will resist it.

“As a result, the economy has collapsed whichever way the government is carrying on with its propaganda.

“We can see the judgement of the international community. Transparency International has just endorsed that this country presently is more corrupt than ever and so, where are we heading to?

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“This is a nation that is currently ruled by sentiments, not by any other principles well known in good governance or well known in democratic countries.

“And I will give you two simple examples or analogy if you like. By 1960, the country was about in terms is population, 50 – 55 million and we had three major seaports, all functional to full capacity, working day and night. In 2020, with a population of 200 million people, we have only one seaport functional.

“So, where are you going to create employment if the seaports are not working?

“By 1960 too, we had one refinery that serviced the entire nation. I mean these are elementary economics so that the ordinary man can understand.

“We had only one refinery and it serviced the entire country. In 2020, we have three refineries and none is working. A country that produces oil now imports 100 per cent refined products.”

The party boss stressed the need for the judiciary to perform to standard, saying that without a strong judiciary, democracy cannot stand.

He added: “We also believe that it is time for the judiciary to wake up because it is the last hope of the ordinary man and the judiciary is the conscience of democracy. Without a strong judiciary, democracy cannot stand.

“We believe that what has happened in the country is enough lesson for all of us to repent and render service to our people selflessly. It is time to wake up because this is a fresh beginning, January 2020.

“It is time for us to speak out and speak out the truth, not propaganda. You can deceive the people some of the time, it is a very common adage, but you cannot deceive the people all the time. You can carry on with your propaganda for long but one day, one day, the truth will come out.

“We are not here to join issues, but we are burdened and pained by what is going on in our country today.”

Secondus also called for electoral reforms without which he said the nation cannot move forward.

He stated: “Without electoral reforms and amendment of our electoral laws, we can’t move forward.

“Look at what happened in Kogi and Bayelsa, and other elections in 2019, it is a shame.

“Ghana can conduct their elections without any violence and problems, Kenya the same, South Africa, other countries in Africa, but Nigeria was a leading country in Africa, where are we today, what is our position.

“Bans are being placed on our country, travel restrictions, we are bring treated anyhow, a giant of Africa is now an ant of Africa. But we believe that if you all stand with us and speak the truth, we will come out of it, God will help us to come out of these problems.

“The woman in the Kogi election who came out, dressed up in the morning, a married woman with children, went to the polling booth, voted, came back to the house was attacked by the APC thugs and burnt alive. So, who is sure to come out and vote anymore? Today, that woman stands as a symbol of democracy even though she is late.”