– The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that Nigeria is currently not in good hands
– PDP has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to resign and make way for those who can lead the country aright
– The opposition party also says it is ready to capitalize on the trial of Senator Bukola Saraki
President Muhammadu Buhari to resign, the leadership of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) asked the president to step aside and allow competent hands to steer the country away from the present economic woes.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Senator Bukola Saraki
In a statement made on Wednesday by the spokesman of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the party said the crass ineptitude and lukewarm-attitude of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration could no longer be tolerated.
"Therefore, we are calling on President Buhari and his team to return Nigeria to its state of booming economy before they assumed office in May, 2015, and then quit immediately to allow other capable leaders recover our ailing economy," the statement added
The party further expressed worry over the state of affairs in the country, particularly a recent statement attributed to the Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, to the effect that "recession is just a word", a statement the minister had since denied.
"Is this statement as a result of ignorance, lack of patriotism or in-line with President Buhari's comment that his ministers are noise makers?" the party queried.
The statement continued, "For the record, recession is characterized as a period of negative economic growth for two consecutive quarters, given rise to high rate of unemployment, fall in output, increase in government borrowing, etc. Following this understanding, Nigeria's economy is already near depression.
"For instance, recall that about three airlines, local and international like some banks, have suspended operations and sent their staff on indefinite leave due to poor state of the Nigeria's economy.
"Nigerians are aware that the PDP government invested heavily in most of our airports in the country that resulted in obvious facelift and improved operations through remodeling, construction of new airports, refurbishing and equipping of the local and international airports to meet best practices in the aviation industry.
"But the APC administration has frittered away all the good policies and programmes which the PDP put in place, thereby crumbling the aviation sector in the country amongst other catastrophes it has caused.
"What Nigerians want from this administration are results, simple! And not resorting to throwing tantrums on the PDP at every given opportunity. Our call for the President to return the counrty to how he met it in 2015 is justified on the following grounds: a bag of rice was N7,000 and now is above N20,000; a mudu of beans was N150 and now is N500; one US Dollar was trading for N197 but now over N400; a liter of fuel was N87 but now N145; cost of transportation and other services have skyrocketed.
"Given our observation since the inception of this government, they have nothing to offer and as such, quitting will be a solution because nobody can give what he/she does not have. APC has failed".
The PDP called on Nigerians to recall President Buhari's purported body language at the beginning of his administration, saying governance is a serious business and not about someone's body language and "de-marketing strategies" of Mr. President while globetrotting.
"When this government came to power in May 2015 riding on the achievements of previous PDP administration, President Buhari's handlers and his party, the APC claimed it was his body language that brought some positive changes the country was witnessing at that time; so we want to know what are the results of the so called 'body language'?".
The opposition party concluded that the earlier the President and his team quit, the better for the country, adding, "there is no better time than now to make this call for the President to return the country to how he met it and quit, or right away quit for a more experienced team to take over".
It called on its members, teeming supporters and other well-meaning Nigerians to keep praying for God's intervention for the recovery of the country's ailing economy.
Meanwhile, Robinson Dumnamene, a chieftain of the PDP, says the former ruling party has a good chance to return to power in 2019.
The member of the House of Representatives, whose election, along with others from Rivers state was cancelled, said what party bigwigs should do was to drop individual differences and work for common good ahead of the next general election.
"PDP has a very clear chance in 2019. What we need to do as a party is to get PDP bonded," he told Daily Trust.
"I can tell you authoritatively that a whole lot of those people you see in the APC today will definitely return to the PDP. This is because they can't find what they expected to see in the APC.
"With what is happening in the government of the APC at the national level, with a little more work, PDP will take back power in 2019," he stated.
On the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Dumnamene said the PDP would capitalize on the issue to produce the next president of the Senate.
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"It is very possible. But looking at the issue of Saraki, you will no doubt see that there is so much political undertone. Those are the things we talk about in this country – political witch hunt.
"Look at the so called fight against corruption, it is skewed. Saraki did not emerge the Senate President from the mainstream APC. With what is going on now, one can say that there is witch hunt.
"Crimes that had been committed many years ago are being brought up now. Whichever way it goes, the PDP caucus in the Senate is very organized and focused and has what it takes to produce the next Senate President," he added.
