Three months after President Bola Tinubu assumed office, the Peoples Democratic Party claims that no fewer than 150 million Nigerians are having trouble affording daily, basic meals.
Since the administration “lacks the acceptance and followership of citizens,” a condition that has generated an atmosphere and feeling of absence of governance in the country, the main opposition party claimed that the country was on the brink of collapse.
This was revealed by the party on Monday in a news release released in Abuja and signed by Mr. Debo Ologunagba, national publicity secretary.
It is appalling that, over the past two months, more than 150 million Nigerians are unable to purchase their daily meals, and that families are now going to bed hungry.
“The elimination of the subsidy and the floating of the naira exacerbated the intolerably high cost of living, devastated our national productivity, wrecked millions of enterprises, and resulted in a catastrophic loss of jobs,” said the administration.
International corporations departing Nigeria and leaving millions of Nigerians jobless have caused a severe loss of investor confidence that is killing small and medium-sized businesses, which are the real engines of our country’s economy.
The statement claims that the federal government’s palliatives—means of helping to reduce poverty in the states—have not done much to lessen the impact of the country’s hardship.
The Federal Government was further criticized for not doing more to ensure “the protection of lives of our citizens, despite the slaughter of over 500 Nigerians in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kaduna and other states of the federation, with many more being kidnapped since May 29, 2023.”
“Another obscene demonstration of the APC government’s insensitivity to the security, safety, and wellbeing of residents is the refusal of the APC government to take effective action since the abduction of eight corps members who were en route to Sokoto State for their one-year mandated national service.
The recent downing of a Nigerian military aircraft, which resulted in the deaths of our brave and valiant military members, is more concerning because the APC government has not made a statement to that effect.
“Currently, under the APC, Nigeria’s life expectancy has drastically decreased. Residents and citizens are constantly on edge and unable to travel freely across the nation for fear of being murdered or kidnapped.
“Instead of defending Nigerians, the APC government is determined to drag our country into a war in the Niger Republic that is unnecessary and poses no threat to our national interests.
“Our party is afraid that, if quickly addressed, the pervasive feeling of hopelessness, fear, sadness, and detachment in the nation could escalate into a catastrophic crisis.”
Bala Ibrahim, the APC’s director of publicity, responded by saying it was regrettable that the PDP was “showing strains of exhaustion and guilt.”
“The PDP is portraying itself as a guilty party,” he declared. It is merely an admission of all the flaws and shortcomings that led to the situation in which Nigerians find themselves today. President Bola Tinubu’s APC administration is making every effort to give Nigerians a Renewed Hope.
“The PDP failed to seize the initiative. I can assure you that if the list of gasoline subsidy recipients is made public, the majority of those on it will be PDP members who have wasted the nation’s resources and who lack the shame to admit to Nigerians that “we indulged in squander-mania for the entire period we ruled the country.”
“The APC government is now attempting to enact reforms and measures to reestablish sanity and hope. But the PDP has started these shenanigans in an effort to mislead or deter Nigerians from the directional leadership the APC government is bringing because they are aware that in the end, people will reap what they sow and they will be condemned. Nothing more exists.
The APC’s director of public relations also chastised the opposition party for attempting to use the recent kidnapping of several corps members for political gain, claiming that it was the PDP administration that was responsible for the country’s infamous “Chibok girls” abduction and other arbitrary kidnapping incidents.
According to Ibrahim, this is why the majority of Nigerians promised not to reinstate the PDP to power.
“Talking about some corps members being kidnapped is disgusting for a party whose watch or leadership it was for the Chibok girls to be kidnapped and held captive for an eternity before they were freed, even if it was done piecemeal under the leadership of the APC. They ought to examine their consciences and hang their heads in shame.
They have lost the support of Nigerians, who would never again support the PDP. Today, Atiku will attack Asiwaju, tomorrow, Shettima, and the next day, it will search for anyone. I’ll tell you up front that after he fails in his attempt to demand Tinubu’s academic credentials and persuade Nigerians to believe that he is a felon, he would probably claim that the president is not from Nigeria. I have no idea where he might turn to hunt for that case,” he said.
