Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech on Nigeria’s 57th Independence anniversary as empty and lacking in substance.
In a statement issued by the spokesman of the party, Dayo Adeyeye, the party said: “Like every other right thinking Nigerians, the PDP, watched with utter shock and disbelief, the address made by President Buhari to the country’s on the occasion of Nigeria’s 57th Independence anniversary.â€
The party said though it never expected anything fantastic from the president but the level of emptiness portrayed in the statement was too grave to be ignored.
He said any attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again would not succeed this time around; as the speech, tailored towards deceiving the populace who are already in the worst form of livelihood brought upon them by the ruderless Government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) could not do the magic they hoped for.
“We feel ashamed on behalf of the APC government which promised much but almost three years into its tenure, has no meaningful development to show to the people except mere continuous deceit, blame game and display of lack of vision in actualisation of its bogus campaign promises for good governance.
“We wonder how President Buhari can, after two and half years of being on the saddle still maintains the stale rhyme of meeting an empty treasury after all the hard evidence of huge funds left behind by the PDP led-administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration?
“We still ask, and we expect an answer, though we know nothing will be offered as explanation. Where did the APC government get the money paid out by President Buhari as first bailout funds to states few weeks into his administration?â€
PDP said another remarkable falsehood that came from the president’s uninspiring speech was the super-imposed narratives of how successful the APC administration has handled the issue of insecurity in the country especially, in the North-east Zone.
“While the government rejoice in self-delusion, we make bold to say that since this government took over government more than two years ago, it’s all motion with no appreciable movement.â€
PDP said its administration was able to curtail the terrorists and ensured elections were peacefully held in the troubled North-east zone without anyone getting killed during the elections of 2015 by terrorists.
It said the only achievement of the APC government regarding the issue of the Boko Haram insurgents, is the inability of government to protect Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are being bombed at will by insurgents.
The party also accused President Buhari of just playing the ostrich with the daily bombings and ambushing of men of the Nigeria military formations by the terrorists group.
On the issue of fight against corruption, PDP said the APC has lost credibility, adding that Nigerians are still waiting to see what President Buhari would do to the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation who was investigated for corruption.
“We observed that the situation in the North-east has worsened in the last two and half years. A complete counter of the promise made by the APC government to effectively rout the remnants of the terrorists within two months of assuming office.
“We say unequivocally, that insecurity has risen under this administration, as more cases of kidnapping, armed robbery, agitation for secession and general insecurity in the country have escalated.
“We state in clear terms that infrastructure are decaying at a fast rate under this administration, lives are being lost, jobs are being lost, Nigerians are being unnecessarily divided along ethnic and religious lines.
“We hope and pray along with all Nigerians that this nightmare will quickly be over to give way to a new dawn of PDP administration,†the party said.
