TICAD 7 shows no nation wants to do business with Buhari ― PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the “disgraceful outing and poor attention” given to President Muhammadu Buhari by world leaders and investors at the 7th Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development (TICAD 7) has further confirmed his rejection by the international community.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, the party noted that it was a national embarrassment and shame that President Buhari could not seal any meaningful economic agreement at the conference but only came home with an empty basket and pocket full of promissory notes.

The PDP observed that the conference has shown that no world leader or international investors want to do any real business with Nigeria under President Buhari, “mainly because of the legitimacy burden of his Presidency, arising from the rigging of the February 23 Presidential election, as well as overt impunity, corruption, treasury looting and recklessness that pervade his administration.”

The statement added: “It is lamentable that while President Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) are reducing our nation by celebrating a mere pledge of $300,000 (N108 million) from the Japanese Prime Minister and a promissory note for 50 million euros from an EU Commissioner, his Ghanaian counterpart, Nana Akufo-Ado had sealed a deal with automobile giant, Toyota, to immediately establish a Toyota and Suzuki manufacturing plant in Ghana with a determined timeline of August 2020 for production.

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“The multinational had also signed a deal to establish a similar plant in neighbouring Ivory Coast with a Memorandum of Understanding to that effect already signed last Thursday.

“It is instructive to note that Toyota announced that it preferred to cite the plant in Ghana because of the favourable economic climate prevailing in the country; a climate, which has taken flight from Nigeria under President Buhari and worsened since the rigging of the Presidential election.

“It is saddening that because of President Buhari, our nation, which, under the PDP had excelled to become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and a hub for Foreign Direct Investments, is now descending into a pariah and beggarly nation with no hope in sight.

“This development plainly shows that the time is gone when world leaders and investors embraced manipulated elections and governments that do not have the mandate of their citizens.”

The PDP said it stands with the majority of Nigerians in holding that the only way to save the nation from imminent collapse is the retrieval of the Presidential mandate at the court.

“That is the only way our nation can enjoy the benefit of an acceptable and purposeful leadership, which will return her to the path of peaceful co-existence, political stability and economic prosperity,” the statement declared.