PDP criticism of APC economic programmes, act of vengeance

The national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Malllam Bolaji Abdullahi, has said that continuous criticism of the present government’s economic policies and programmes by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is motivated by vengeance.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin at the weekend, Mallam Abdullahi said that the opposition party only took to unconstructive criticism just to confuse some people in order to return to power in 2019.

The APC National Publicity Secretary, who said that it would be unfair to blame the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for the state of the economy, said that some Nigerians had warned, prior to the reign of the APC led government that whoever succeeds the then President Goodluck Jonathan would be in for a tough time.

Rather than shifting the goal post, Abdullahi, a former Minister of Sports, said the PDP should exhibit remorse by keeping quiet in order to allow the APC fixed the situation caused by the former ruling party.

He noted that the measures introduced by the Federal Government on the exchange rate had paid off with the stability in the hitherto volatile hard currency.

Speaking on large sum of money recovered from the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Allison Madueke, the APC spokesman said that such unwholesome conduct had serious implication on the economy.

He said he was aware that Nigerians were facing some difficulties and expressed optimism that the APC led government would deliver on the electoral promises made to Nigerians before it came on board.

“I can tell you that I’m one of the people, who believe that two years on, we shouldn’t even be talking about what PDP did and they did not do. I believe that after two years we have been in power, we cannot continue to appear like we are blaming PDP for everything. Nigerians knew that PDP was no longer acceptable to them, which is why they voted PDP out and voted APC in.

“But be that as it may, I think if you create a problem and other people are trying to solve it, I think the least you could do is to at least keep quiet, not continue to lay claim to any superiority. The economy of Nigeria did not collapse. If you recall even before the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria has started borrowing money to pay salaries. And so many people including former CBN Governor, Professor Charles Soludo, our own Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, warned at a time that whoever takes over from Jonathan is going to face a very tough time running the economy. It wasn’t the APC that created the situation.

“So, APC inherited a situation and tried to make the best of what we have found. Then, you also have to ask yourself, the kind of revelation that is coming forward. EFCC has reported how much money it has recovered in loots. Then, you ask yourself. How did it happen? How did it happen that so much money can be stolen from the system? Those must have implication for the economy. If an individual is said to forfeit permanently amount to the tune to £17millon, the kind of figures we are hearing is even difficult to wrap your mind around it.

“So, if you take those kinds of money out of an economy, it must have an impact. How did it happen that those monies were stolen under a PDP government and they created a situation and you are now saying that people destroyed the economy? If APC destroyed the economy by doing what we are doing, what did PDP do by allowing the kind of mind boggling stealing that happened in the last two years, repair the economy?

“I think it is ridiculous some of these arguments we are hearing. But I don’t think it is one of the conversations I want to indulge in, saying that PDP did this and that, because that is what they want to happen. I think they should focus on what the job of opposition is. My worry is that I listen to a lot of PDP statements and I read them, I have this disturbing feeling that it is driven largely by vengeance.

“On true level, these people took us out of power and then we want to go back as quickly as possible. Or these people were very good in propaganda, let us use the same weapon and let us throw the same propaganda. I see vengeance in most of their communications. But I think they should remember that we have a country.

“Last week or so, when Mr President hosted our both parties, APC and PDP, he said that much. That we need a country first before we can even claim to belong to a political party. To everyone’s commendation, PDP Caretaker Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, said the same thing, that opposition is not a license to madness. Even though we are in opposition, we have a duty to support our government and our country. I think that is a spirit. So, if he is saying that, I think his party men need to listen and see the need for us to support the government.

“The mandate the APC has is not two years, it is four years; we are just midway. So, they should wait until after the four years. So, if we don’t perform, Nigerians know what to do”, Abdullahi said.