Press statement from the PDP...
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a responsible political party made a promise to President
Muhammadu Buhari that it would not get involved in distracting or detracting him from delivering
good governance to the Nigerian people. This has informed our restrained position on a number of
issues that ordinarily we would have made comments on.
However, because of the overzealousness of your spokespersons and some members of your party, the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in dramatizing some imaginary achievements of your administration in a
space of one month, there is need to put the records straight.
We believe that one month is such a short time to assess any government, however when this
administration and your party started rolling out premature scorecards of imaginary achievements, it
became necessary for us and indeed most Nigerians to X-ray them.
We need to bring to your notice certain indices that if not properly corrected are capable of derailing the
smooth running of your administration. It is incontrovertible that instead of focusing on the promises you
made to Nigerians and on policy thrusts that will move our economy forward, the ruling party has been
made to be very high on propaganda, deceitful engagement and cosmetic governance.
We believe you should extricate yourself from these agents of propaganda who continue to believe that
Nigerians would be swayed by these cosmetic interventions instead of real business of government.
As the leader of the most populous black nation in the world, we believe you should not allow your
Presidency to be pushed into the gimmicks of playing to the gallery and attempting to use the
dramatization of promissory notes and pledges by foreign interests, false premature claims of victory
against insurgency, dramatization of salary cut and rejection of official cars, all to gain cheap popularity
and create an impression that the government is on course when in the actual fact, the new administration
has not been able to locate a bearing since its inauguration in May.
While we appreciate the symbolic gesture by Mr. President in ‘cutting’ his N14 million annual basic salary
by 50 percent, it should be noted that Nigerians would not be wavered by the N7million annual donation
and rejection of official cars, and forget their expectations for the implementation of his long list of
campaign promises for which he was elected into office.
The Presidency should know that these orchestration, no matter how populist it may seem does not in any
way address the burning issues of employment, worsening security situation, decline in the economy,
avoidable inactivity in government businesses, and continued apparent slide of the naira which has dipped
from under N200 to the dollar in May to an all time low of N238 under the APC administration among
others.
Moreover, Nigerians cannot be overwhelmed by the gestures especially given that they are pretty aware
that the salary is a mere drop in the ocean of personal allowances and privileges that come to the
president. They cannot therefore be deluded by impressions aimed to make government appear to be on
course when it has only been a case of all motion, no movement, spiced with unnecessary excuses.
Nigerians, going by feelers have not been thrilled by such orchestrations as other leaders who at one time
or the other adopted similar stance did not dither or become laidback, but hit the ground running with
governance. What the citizens want is a government that is urgent in living up to its billings and campaign
promises.
Instead of allowing his government to be taken over by needless showmanship, Mr. President must realize
that the people would not judge him by such measures but on the extent to which he addressed critical
issues of governance for which he was voted into power.
The issue is about the President facing the challenges of governance and assembling his team of experts
and capable hands to manage the economy, which has been on the decline since he assumed office. It is
also about allowing the different arms of government, especially the National Assembly to work smoothly
and encourage conducive democratic environment where the rule of law, personal freedom and security of
lives and property are guaranteed.
Perhaps, we may need to draw Mr. President's attention to the growing concern that under his watch
democratic institutions are no longer free. While activities of the National Assembly have been disrupted,
the nation’s electoral body has lost its independence due to the appointment of an Acting Chairman that is
publicly known to have very strong relationship with your good self and key members of your party. We
have also seen flagrant disregard of court orders.
We also wish to bring to your notice, Mr. President that Nigerians are now agitated that this government
has failed to hit the ground running as it promised. They are worried that the President who promised to
unveil his cabinet two weeks after his inauguration in May, has, two months after, not been able to decide
on key appointments such as ministers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), a Chief of
Staff and advisers in key sectors of the economy.
They are worried by the drifting of government business in ministries, departments and agencies due to the
absence of political heads vested with coordinating of important policies, which are now in tatters and
taking its toll on the economy as indicated in the terrifying crippling of foreign and domestic investments
and harrowing retrogression in the capital market which has continued to lose billions of naira since May
29th.
Instead of engaging in pointless propaganda, the APC and the Presidency should be more concerned about
the decline in the economy with the continued fall in the value of the naira which has descended from
under N200 to the dollar they inherited in May to all time low of N238 even in the face of the President’s
promise to bring it to same value with the US Dollar.
We need to caution that the needless celebration of your party over Monday's change of Service Chiefs is
totally premature considering the corresponding urgency of previous administration in this regard.
Also, as a quick reminder, we wish to notify you that in line with your promises, Nigerians are still eager
for information regarding the five million new jobs, monthly N5, 000 each to 25 million poor citizens,
monthly allowance to discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members, free meals to school children and
bringing the naira to the same value with the dollar; among other promises upon which you and your party
gained access to power.
Finally, Mr. President may we restate that our commitment to constructive opposition is due to our
conviction as major stakeholders in the Nigerian project that whatever success achieved by you is not for
your individual benefit or that of the APC, but for our collective and common good as a country. We will
therefore continue to inform you and indeed all Nigerians about potential areas of derailment, not with the
intention of embarrassing you and your administration, but to bring good governance for the benefit of all
Nigerians.
Signed:
Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary
