PDP Queries Buhari’s Indifference to Burning National Issues

Says defectors are saboteurs that worked against party’s interest President-elect pays thank you visit to Bauchi, Adamawa

Chuks Okocha Awofadeji in Bauchi Sani Segun Daji The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed deep concerns over the apparent indifference of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to burning national issues threatening the unity and stability of the country.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement yesterday, said: “While well-meaning Nigerians and the international community are celebrating the peace fostered by the patriotic action of President Goodluck Jonathan in conceding defeat, Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), have been moving around the country instigating division, engineering crisis and heightening tension in the polity.

“Whereas Buhari had assured Nigerians that he would be a president of the entire nation and not of a political party, his actions in the last one week show otherwise as he has continued to display sectionalism and insensitivity to matters inimical to the survival of our democracy and wellbeing of Nigerians.

“Instead of settling down to plan a smooth transition and design ways of deepening democracy in appreciation of the mandate given to him, Buhari has tacitly encouraged his men to foment crisis and cause panic in the bid to muzzle personal freedom and impose a reign of terror in the land.

“For instance, Buhari has remained indifferent to the crisis in Ekiti State where outgoing APC lawmakers who are supposed to be campaigning for the renewal of their mandates on Saturday have been mobilised to Osogbo in Osun State by the APC to perfect an ignoble plot to remove a democratically-elected government in Ekiti State.

“APC’s ambition in Ekiti State coupled with its odious triumphalism in the aftermath of the presidential election have led to avoidable confrontations and near breakdown of law and order in the state as the people rise to defend the mandate freely given to the PDP.

“In continuation of this display of arrogance in victory, Buhari’s men in Lagos have dragged the revered traditional institution into the political fray with the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, threatening death to supporters of the PDP, an action that has brought outrage from Nigerians with Buhari playing the ostrich.

“It is indeed unfortunate that while his men are causing crisis and threatening Nigerians, Buhari, instead of calling them to order displays his insensitivity by jetting around the country campaigning for his party.

“If this sort of insensitivity and arrogance of victory are foretaste of what to expect in a Buhari presidency, then our dear nation and its people are headed for a long trek into the wilderness,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the PDP in reaction to reports of defection from its fold, described the defectors as political trojans, who from within had ceaselessly worked against the interest of the party and now fear that they would face sanctions for their actions.

Stating that it would not miss such fair weather members, the party commended the courage and steadfastness of all its supporters and members who have remained committed to the course and urged them to go a step further by emulating Senate President David Mark and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu in speaking out publicly in favour of the PDP, its ideals and visions of the founding fathers.

The PDP said adequate machinery is already in motion to reorganise and reposition itself to regain power in the next four years since it is obvious that the APC lacks what it takes to effectively lead the nation.

It therefore called on Nigerians to use the Saturday’s election to demonstrate their commitment to democracy by voting en masse for the PDP bearing in mind that a vote for the party is a vote for the unity and stability of the country.

Meanwhile, for the third time yesterday, Buhari visited Bauchi State to thank the people of the state for voting massively for the APC in the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections just as he canvassed for support for the party candidates contesting in the Saturday April 11 governorship and state House of Assembly elections in the state.

In a similar visit to Yola, Adamawa State, yesterday, the former head of state promised to make judicious use of the resources as he pilots the affairs of the nation.

At the well-attended event at the Multi-purpose Sports Hall, Bauchi, Buhari was accompanied by the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun; former Chief of Army Staff, Abdulrahman Dambazau; former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Lawal Jafar Isa, among others.

The president-elect told Bauchi residents that he was in the state to thank them for fulfilling the promise they made by voting massively for the APC during the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections.

According to him, “I want to thank the people of Bauchi State for keeping to their promise of voting massively for the APC in the presidential and national Assembly election. Indeed, you have proved your love and loyalty for the party. I promise to return the gesture by bringing more development in the state.”

Buhari, who was received by APC supporters in the state, urged the people to replicate the same support they gave the party during presidential and National Assembly elections by voting massively for APC candidates in the April 11 governorship and state House of Assembly election.

“Vote for APC all the way in the forth- coming election just as you did in the presidential and National Assembly election. Don’t leave any position for any other party, except APC,” he said.

Buhari sympathised with those who lost their lives while celebrating the victory of the party, and condoled the affected families over their loss.

In Yola, the president-elect was accompanied by the former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar; Oyegun and Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, where he further explained that he woud neither embezzle the country’s resources nor allow anyone to do so.

He said the top most priority of his administration is to fighting corruption and insecurity bedeviling the country, noting that would enhance the educational system as most of the social ills bedeviling the country’s polity could be traced to lack of qualitative education.

Buhari however decried the high level of corruption in the country, which he said was responsible for the years of decay that led to massive unemployment, adding that to address the situation, he woud invest massively in agriculture and exploit mineral resources sector in order to create employment.

He explained that for Nigeria to get out of the woods, the people must persevere, adding that in the face of the massive decay in the system, addressing Nigeria’s problems will be a daunting task.

The president-elect, who thanked Nigerians for casting their votes for APC en mass during the last presidential and National Assembly polls said the country is endowed with human and natural resources “but unfortunately the resources were mismanaged and squandered leading to the present situation in the land.”