Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu has labeled the Muhammadu Buhari All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration oppressive, incompetent and divisive.
The Leader said that within a space of 6 years, the administration has destroyed the once thriving economy which the now main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, bequeathed on them in 2015 during its time in power.
Elumelu’s accusations were contained in his speech at the 92nd National Executive Committee (NEC) Meeting of the PDP, on Saturday in Abuja made available to National Assembly correspondents.
The Leader said it was unfortunate that Nigerians were leaving the country in droves while others were committing suicide.
According to him, Nigerians were worried about the internal squabbles in the PDP, praying that the party should resolve the issues in order to take over power in 2023 and rescue the nation.
The statement read in full: “Indeed, our great party, the PDP has witnessed serious leadership turbulence in the last few weeks.
“Naysayers and cynics who do not wish Nigeria well, including agents of the incompetent, oppressive and divisive APC and its administration had expected us to implode, factionalize and founder.
“But today, the PDP has once again proved pessimists wrong in our standing as one united, indivisible and indissoluble family, without factions, despite the challenges we face.
“Instead of diminishing us, these challenges have reignited our passion to jettison all personal and sectional interest to come together to strengthen our common front for task ahead. They have reinforced and toughened our collective resolve to close ranks and focus on our responsibility to rescue our nation from the misrule of the APC.
“May I, on behalf of the Minority Caucus and as well as the PDP Caucus in the House of Representatives, which I lead, commend the elders, leaders and critical stakeholders of our great party; the Board of Trustees (BoT), the PDP Governors’ the National Assembly Caucus; and other stakeholders for our collective resilience and resolve in the face of these challenges.
“Of course, in a truly democratic political party like the PDP, where the voices and interests of all are accommodated, disagreements of this nature are bound to arise.
“Nevertheless, our ability to successfully navigate through the challenges must be paramount at this point in time. This is because our unity, as a party, reinforces and strengthens the confidence Nigerians repose on the PDP as the platform that holds the solution to the horrific situation the APC has plunged our nation into.
“You will recall that in my earlier address to NEC, I drew attention to the fact that Nigerians are fed up with the APC-led government and are looking up to us to salvage the nation.
“Such confidence by Nigerians is further anchored on the manifest commitment by PDP governors in their massive and unprecedented human capital and infrastructural development in all sectors of life in their respective states; in keeping with the manifesto and development ideology of our great party.
“It is common knowledge that in Nigeria today, it is only state governors elected in the platform of the PDP that are commissioning landmark projects and executing legacy programmes and policies that have direct bearing to the wellbeing of the people.
“This is in addition to the resilience being exhibited by our lawmakers at the federal and state levels as well as the outspokenness of leaders and members of the PDP in firmly defending the rights and interests of Nigerians on critical national issues.
“The PDP therefore remains the only hope for a better nation and that is why Nigerians, across board, are always worried whenever it appears to them that our house is not in order.
“Elders and leaders of our great party, it has therefore become imperative that we urgently address and settle all issues that promote disunity in our fold focus on the mandate given to us by Nigerians to rescue and salvage our country from the misrule of the APC.
“Under the APC, corruption and treasury looting have taken center stage; our nation has been laid bare to terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and thugs who have now taken control of territories, marauding our highways, razing communities, killing, maiming and kidnapping our citizens on daily basis, while the APC government look compromised, helpless and overwhelmed.
“Within a space of six years, the APC has succeeded in wrecking the once thriving economy handed over to it by the PDP in 2015 and turned our nation into the poverty capital of the world with 33.3% unemployment rate, over 60 million hitherto flourishing businesses closed down and about 83 million Nigerians now unable to afford their daily meals and other necessities of life.
“Under the APC government, our nation ranks 98th out of 107 in Global Hunger Index. Cost of essential goods and services have skyrocketed above the reach of most Nigerians. Our productive sectors are crippled by corruption, ineptitude and wrong economic policies of the APC administration to the extent that our naira has tumbled from N167 in 2015 to a disheartening N522 to a dollar today.
“The APC has continued to mortgage the sovereignty and future of our nation with reckless borrowing and accumulated N33.107 trillion debt for which it has nothing to show but decayed infrastructure and a desolate economy. In fact, with the proposal to borrow another N5. 62 trillion for the 2022 budget, our debt stock is expected to rise to N38.7 trillion, with no clear-cut repayment plan.
“The situation under the APC has become so horrible that our youths are fast losing hope in our nation. Our compatriots are now leaving the country in droves while others resort to suicide as option. Indeed, this is not the way to go.
“Leaders of our party, our nation is in dire strait. It is therefore incumbent on us to sheathe our swords, bury all hatchets, reconcile our difference, jettison all personal interest and make further sacrifices in the interest of our nation.
“The hope of our nation is on our party. Nigerians look up to us for direction at this critical time and indeed, we must not fail them. We need to leave this hall today reassuring them of our resolve to rescue and return our nation to the path of peace, stability and progress” (Vanguard)