POLITICS
Protests: PDP Slams Tinubu, APC for Attempting to Politicize Hardship
By Johnson Eyiangho, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned attempts by the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to politicize the recent protest by Nigerians against the current economic hardship and worsening insecurity in the country.
The PDP noted in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon.
Debo Ologunagba, yesterday that the protest as witnessed in Minna, the capital of Niger State on Monday, was occasioned by the anti-people policies and unprecedented corruption of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led APC administration.It said that instead of being hypocritical by pointing fingers at the opposition, the APC should admit the failure of its policies and take urgent and concrete action to get President Tinubu to lift his knees off the neck of Nigerians so that the people can breathe.
The statement said that the the action of the APC in threatening Nigerians for exercising their democratic and Constitutional right to protest in the face of misrule, agonizing poverty, hunger, killings and other harrowing experiences under the Tinubu administration shows that the APC is insensitive and relishes the life-discounting situation in the country.
“This approach by the APC, instead of listening to the people, is not only offensive but akin to pushing Nigerians to the wall and daring them to do their worst.
“It is an assault on the sensibility of the people that rather than providing answers to how the Tinubu-led APC government in a space of nine months, turned the nation’s economy upside down leading to terrifying food scarcity and catastrophic high cost of living, the APC is seeking to label and clamp down on the suffering masses.
“The APC is insensitive to the fact that because of its policies more than 104 million citizens have sunk deeper into poverty; Nigerians can no longer afford their daily meals with families now going to bed on empty stomach as poverty rate soars to over 46%,” it said.
The statement said that any government that has an idea of macro-economic policy management ought to have recognized that the suffocating policies of abrupt increase in the pump price of petroleum products, high cost of electricity and arbitrary floating of the Naira as executed by the Tinubu administration without due considerations, would have excruciating consequences to the economy as being witnessed today.
“These thoughtless policies by President Tinubu and the APC are responsible for the crippling of the productive sector with 28% inflation rate, crashing of the Naira from N167 to over N1,500 to a Dollar, closure of millions of businesses and mass exodus of international companies from Nigeria resulting to a distressing 41% unemployment rate and unbearable pressure on millions of families across the country.
“Today, Nigerians are resorting to suicide while thousands of our promising youths are leaving the country in droves.
“Is it not provocative that in the last eight years and nine months, instead of deploying the nation’s resources for the improvement of critical infrastructure and the productive sectors, Nigerians have witnessed massive looting of over N20 trillion by APC leaders and its officials in government through direct pillaging of government vaults, budget padding, contract inflation, oil subsidy scam, palliative racketeering and phony programmes which have no benefit and consequence to the lives of the citizens?
“Added to these are the nauseating reports of seething corruption in the Tinubu administration including exposed looting of billions of Naira by cabinet ministers and senior officials as reported in the embezzlement of Palliative Funds without concrete actions being taken by the government to investigate, recover and sanction those involved in the raging scam,” the PDP said.
It noted that the APC and the Tinubu administration have remained insensitive to the mass killings, kidnapping and other acts of terrorism ravaging the country without proffering any concrete action plan and policies to address those multifarious carnage.
According to the party, since President Tinubu took office on May 29, 2023 no fewer than 5000 Nigerians have been killed by terrorists apparently emboldened by the laidback attitude and body language of Mr. President who has failed to show seriousness on issues of security or empathy to victims either by words or action.
The PDP lamented that in spite of the sad happenings in recent times, President Tinubu “is missing in action as he holidays in France at the expense of the Nigerian treasury”.
It said the APC must understand and come to terms with the fact that there is frustration in the land because of the suffocating economic and social policies; laidback attitude to security and massive corruption in the Tinubu administration.
The Nigerian Youths for Atiku (NYFA) has urged Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, the 2023 President Candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) to stop attacking the reputation of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The Director of Communications of NYFA (Nigeria & Diaspora), Mr Dare Dada, made the call in a statement on Friday in Lagos.
Dada spoke against the background of a recent media interview granted by Kwankwaso, in which he accused Abubakar, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of peddling lies at 80 years of age.
Kwankwaso,in the interview,had claimed that Abubakar’s camp had falsely told some Northern elders that the ex-VP had reached an agreement with him and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, to take turns at the presidency from 2027.
Dada , who described the claim as untrue, said that the former vice president was not a problem to Kwankwaso’s presidential ambition.
“It is so sad that someone of Kwankwanso calibre will make frantic efforts to denigrate the person of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President of Nigeria, just to score some cheap political points.
“The former Vice- President needs no validation from him to be relevant politically as far as the Nigerian political space is concerned.
“Engaging in such level of falsehood just to make a point is not only ridiculous but demeaning,” Dada said.
He said that such attacks on opposition figures were not good at this time when opposition leaders were supposed to be strategising on an alliance to give Nigerians a better deal in 2027.
Dada said that opposition leaders must shun divisive tendencies and rhetorics, capable of undermining the unity and progress needed in the nation.
The youth leader urged Kwankwaso to rather dissipate energy on issues confronting the Northern Nigeria and speak up.
He added: “The youth of this nation are determined to stand for integrity and ensure that politics of deceit and manipulation are relegated to the past.
“It is our collective belief that politics of honesty and integrity will always triumph over self-serving lies.
“The NYFA remains committed to supporting visionary leaders like Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who prioritise national development and the well-being of all Nigerians over personal ambition.” (NAN)
A former Governor of Abia, Sen. Orji Kalu, has expressed appreciation to Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi for endorsing the second term in office of Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha as Chairman of (APC) in the state.
Kalu stated this on Thursday at Ekoli, Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi during his New Year visit to Okoro-Emegha whom he described as his political son.
“The endorsement is a good development, as Okoro-Emegha is a hardworking person.
“I did not make the endorsement but the governor, who is working with Okoro-Emegha, did,” Kalu, who is representing Abia North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, said.
He said that his visit to the APC chairman was an annual event, which showed the level of affinity between them.
“I promised him that as long as God gives me the life, I will be visiting him every new year,” Kalu said.
Okoro-Emegha, in his response, thanked the former governor for the visit, stating that the bond between them would continue to wax stronger.
“I cannot assess myself, while the governor could not have endorsed me if the press, party faithful and the entire citizens didn’t assess me rightly.
“APC has never had it so good because there is no problem within it,” he said.
The party chairman said that he would not relent in his efforts at ensuring that all the political gladiators in the opposition joined APC.
“I will be visiting the members representing Ohaoazara/Onicha/Ivo and Afikpo North/Edda Federal Constituencies in the House of Representatives.
“I will urge them to join APC and let them know the benefits for all us being under one roof.
“They have roles to play in complementing the governor’s efforts to uplift the state,” he said.
Okoro-Emegha urged the people of the state to continue supporting the governor and hope for a better 2025.
“2024 was tough but we will reap all we have sown in 2025. We should know that one person cannot run a government; he needs our collective efforts,” he said.
Daily Asset recalls that Okoro-Emegha was Kalu’s aide when he was governor of Abia from 1999 to 2007. (NAN)
The Senate Leader, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, has listed the consideration of the N49.7 trillion 2025 budget and the Tax Reform Bills as two of the items topping National Assembly’s agenda in the new year.
Bamidele said this in his new year message to Nigerians made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.
Report says that Opeyemi’s message was entitled: “Another Year of Limitless Opportunities”.
He said that the next few weeks would be devoted to the scrutiny of the 2025 Appropriation Bill, Tax Reform Bills, 2024 and investigation of economic sabotage in the petroleum industry, among others.
Bamidele said that key economic reform initiatives which had been in the pipeline to open up Nigeria for real businesses that would throw up limitless opportunities would also be deliberated upon.
He further stated that the constructive collaboration which the national assembly had being having with the executive since June 2023 was already yielding results.
“It is also repositioning the nation’s economy for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.
The majority leader cited the multi-tiered interventions by the presidency and national assembly, particularly the commencement of operation by Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals within the 2024 fiscal year as an instance.
Another one, he said, was the Port Harcourt Refining Company and Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company which was now back in operation after almost two decades of inaction.
Bamidele assured that the national assembly would sustain the President Bola Tinubu-led government’s drive to deepen global best practices in the country’s petroleum industry.
“This is the rationale behind the Senate Ad-hoc Committee to investigate alleged economic sabotage in the Nigerian petroleum industry.
“Considering the significance of the Committee, the National Assembly has initiated the process to constitute a joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives.
“This is to look more decisively and incisively into diverse issues spurring infraction and sabotage in the petroleum industry,” he said. (NAN)
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