*By Femi Aribisala*

I have said time and again that I am not a member of the PDP. I am saying it again. I have never been and will never be a member of any political party in Nigeria. I have also said I do not know personally, have never met or even ever spoken to President Goodluck Jonathan, although I remain as ardent in his support as I was during the 2015 election.

Before you call me a liar, let me state here for the record that I finally had the privilege of speaking to President Jonathan a few weeks ago. A nice lady named Doris phoned me, pleased she was finally able to reach me. She had a simple message: President Jonathan would like to speak to me. She then gave me his phone number.

So, I finally had the opportunity to speak to President Jonathan for the very first time. Speaking to him took me back to thinking about the heady days of the 2015 presidential elections. I am of the opinion that history is already beginning to vindicate President Jonathan and to restore his legacy, in spite of the incessant propaganda of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

We have now had three-and-a-half years of APC rule. We have now seen what APC’s ‘change’ actually entails. We are no longer under any illusions. Even though the APC has spent the last few years re-litigating what was wrong with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it should now be clear that the PDP is far better than the APC; at least ten times better.

Stolen Ideas

In three-and-a-half years in power, there is no single original idea of note that has emanated from the APC. What it has been doing is to claim PDP’s ideas as its own. APC claims credit for the Treasury Single Account (TSA) when in fact it is of PDP inspiration. It claims credit for the turn-around maintenance of our refineries, when it is in fact a Jonathan/PDP legacy. It claims credit for increased rice production in Nigeria, when it was the PDP that achieved this.

APC claims credit for the rehabilitation of rail lines in Nigeria, but the truth is that this was essentially a PDP initiative. It claimed that PDP stole the money earmarked for buying weapons to fight Boko Haram, then went ahead to use the same weapons it said were non-existent to equip the army to fight Boko Haram. Former Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) chairman, Sam Amadi, stressed that improvements in power supply are the result of the efforts made by the Jonathan administration.

If we are now celebrating the end of polio in Nigeria, it has nothing to do with the APC and everything to do with the PDP. If we are indeed well on our way to self-sufficiency in rice production, it is because of the activities of the PDP, and not because of the inactivity of APC. In three-and-a-half years, APC has added precious little to PDP’s achievements. On the contrary, it has degraded many of the milestonesattained earlier.

From Bad To Worse

Bill Gates hailed Nigeria’s fight against polio under Jonathan and the PDP as one of the great world achievements of 2014. However, the same Bill Gates identifies Nigeria under Buhari and the APC as one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth, with the fourth worst maternal mortality rate in the old. He also identified the government’s economic policy as dismally ineffectual.

Indeed, everything under this APC government has gone from bad to worse. The economy is worse. The cost of living is worse. The security situation is worse. The naira is worse. The unity of Nigerians is worse. The corruption index is worse. The electricity situation is worse. The ministers in the presidential cabinet are worse. The liberty of Nigerians is worse. The rule of law is worse. The political climate is toxic.

We are not just saddled with an incompetent government. We are saddled with one that merely watches while we are being murdered in our homes, farms and churches. We are saddled with a government that tells us the choice we have is either to lose our land to carpetbaggers or lose our lives. We are saddled with a government that defines itself as a northern, instead of a national, government; with all its security architecture in the hands of northerners.

In 16 years in power, the PDP not only cleared Nigeria’s debts of some $30 billion, it borrowed a total of only N6 trillion. However, in just three years, the APC has returned Nigeria to the debtor status and borrowed a whopping N11 trillion. We are yet to see what all this new debt has been spent on.

Lack of Integrity

The APC is the party that boasts of integrity but lacks integrity. This ensures it embarrasses itself with one scandal after the other. From the Babachir Lawal’s ‘grasscutter’ scandal, Abdulrashid Maina’s pension and recall scam, the NHIS scandal, the EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu’s scandal to the recent Kemi Adeosun NYSC certificate forgery scandal. The APC fails to act against corruption while nevertheless fooling itself that it is a champion of the anti-corruption struggle.

Unlike the proverbial charity, APC’s anti-corruption war does not begin at home in the APC. The party encourages and molly-cuddles the corrupt. Indeed, it has an open-door policy for the corrupt. Once you are in APC or you decamp to APC, you are automatically whitewashed from allegations of corruption.

Once you have corruption allegations to answer before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), all you need to do is defect to the APC and you will be welcome with open arms. Your corruption case will also suddenly disappear. This is the case with Godswill Akpabio. He had a pending case of corruption with the EFCC but has now quickly defected from the PDP to the APC. That singular act is likely to whitewash him and dustbin his case.

The anti-corruption struggle for the APC is in declaring Rotimi Amaechi innocent until proven guilty, while proclaiming Diezani Allison-Madueke guilty until proven innocent.

Whatever anyone may think or say about the PDP, it is a national party. As a matter of fact, it remains the only national party in Nigeria to date in this republic. Its membership and strength stretch from North to South and East to West.

Not so the APC. The APC is a sectarian party. It is an agglomeration of regional parties that merged together for the sake of capturing the presidency. Once this happened, their sectarianism came back to the fore.

On his inauguration, the president told Nigerians: “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.” However, the APC has turned out to be essentially a North-West and South-West party that has effectively divided Nigeria along regional lines. On his election, the president went to the U.S. where he declared that: “The constituents (that) gave me 97 per cent cannot in all honesty be treated on some issues with constituencies that gave me 5 per cent.”

That means the president can largely overlook the South-East and the South-South in appointments. It also means Fulani herdsmen from the North can continue to kill innocent farmers all over the country, while government sees no evil and hears no evil.

When a substantive Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman was finally approved, the president broke another protocol by choosing a man from his own region, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, continuing the lopsided policy whereby the chief organs of the federal government (the presidency, the legislature and the judiciary) are now all headed by northerners.

Champions of Hypocrisy

Nevertheless, there are certain areas where there is no doubt that the APC is ten times better than the PDP. One of these is in hypocrisy. The APC is the undisputed champion of hypocrisy. It contradicts its own vaunted values repeatedly without batting an eyelid. In the area of hypocrisy, the PDP is certainly no match for the APC.

Recently, Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, shocked Nigerians by launching a so-called National Campaign Against Fake News. What is so amazing about this boldface duplicity is that Lai Mohammed himself is the chief exponent of fake news in Nigeria. Lai Mohammed urged Nigerians to “Say No to Fake News.” However, his very campaign is fake news. Here is a classic example of the pot calling the kettle black.

Lai Mohammed is Nigeria’s version of Iraq’s Comical Ali, the sobriquet for Saddam Hussein’s minister of information, whose job was to give false reports of Iraqi successes during the 1990 war. It was Lai Mohammed who dazzled Nigerians with the fake news that the Boko Haram was responsible for the scarcity of tomatoes. He told Nigerians that President Buhari was hale and hearty in London, only for the president himself to return and say he had never felt so sick in his life.

APC would have Nigerians believe the lie that the recent disgraceful storming of the National Assembly by the Department of State Services was orchestrated by Bukola Saraki, the Senate president. That is a load of hogwash. Lai Mohammed also said the gory tales of herdsmen murdering hapless Nigerians is fake news. If you believe this outright falsehood, then you will believe anything.

A newspaper commentator had this to say: “For Lie Mohammed to advise to media not to yield their platform to spread fake news is like the devil advocating to his subject not to tell lies.”

Buyers’ Remorse

It is not surprising, therefore, that quite a number of those who left the PDP for the APC four years ago have become so disgusted with the APC that, like prodigal sons, they have returned to the PDP. They include Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president of Nigeria; Bukola Saraki, Senate president; Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano; Senator Bernabas Gemade and Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto State.

Many who waxed lyrical about the virtues of the APC four years ago now hate the APC. They include President Obasanjo, Wole Soyinka and Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka.

Nevertheless, we cannot insist APC did not bring change. It brought change but it was change that pauperised Nigeria. APC brought change from peace to restiveness; it brought change from gainful employment to job insecurity and massive unemployment; it brought change from national unity to sectarianism; it brought change from good health to medical check-ups; it brought change from life to death by herdsmen.

It brought change from $1 exchanging for N190 to $1 exchanging for N360; it brought change from N87 fuel to N145 fuel; it brought change from 20 tomatoes selling for N50 to one tomato selling for N100; it brought change from hope to despair; it brought change from light to darkness. Now that is change we can certainly do without.

APC is an expired drug. Nigerians now know what it means to vote against good luck.

https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2018/08/14/why-the-pdp-is-ten-times-better-than-the-apc-by-femi-aribisala/#

Cc: Lalasticlala

Undiluted truth
Never again, will I cast my vote for a jihadist
Never again

Pot is that u callin........black?

Except the Sai Baba chanters, every right thinking Nigerian knows

Femi Aribisala? I remember him, fake Revd cum PDP apologist. The wailing wailer in-chief!

Meanwhile, any time you see your oppressors (elites) wailing upandan know yee that your redeemer is working.

Sai Baba till 2023!

Those with commonsense and conscience would never trade PDP for APC. No sane Nigerian would ever claim that his or her life is better today than it was three years ago when PDP was in power. APC came to steal, kill and destroy but Buhari, Osinbajo, Lai Mohammed and Oshiomole would never succeed in their satanic aims. Nigeria is in God's hands.

Aufbauh:
Femi Aribisala? I remember him, fake Revd cum PDP apologist. The wailing wailer in-chief!

Meanwhile, any time you see your oppressors (elites) wailing upandan know yee that your redeemer is working.

Sai Baba till 2023!

You can chant Sai barber a million times, it doesn't erase the fact that Buhari is going back to Daura next year. Quote me in 2019.

EmekaMD:
Except the Sai Baba chanters, every right thinking Nigerian knows

Nothing but the truth.

OLADD:
Those with commonsense and conscience would never trade PDP for APC. No sane Nigerian would ever claim that his or her life is better today than it was three years ago when PDP was in power. APC came to steal, kill and destroy but Buhari, Osinbajo, Lai Mohammed and Oshiomole would never succeed in their satanic aims. Nigeria is in God's hands.

So because someone does not support the same party as you do they are insane?

Some of you are just bullies and nothing more.

Live let's live. Stop forcing your opinion/ideas/beliefs on others or demeaning them because they do not agree with you. It shows up your upbringing as pathetically poor when you do so.

OLADD:


You can chant Sai barber a million times, it doesn't erase the fact that Buhari is going back to Daura next year. Quote me in 2019.

Why not wait till then? Like you have more than one vote. You lot said more than that pre the last election.

abescom:
So because someone does not support the same party as you do they are insane?

Some of you are just bullies and nothing more.

Live let's live. Stop forcing your opinion/ideas/beliefs on others or demeaning them because they do not agree with you. It shows up your upbringing as pathetically poor when you do so.

Common sense shows Nigeria is now more divided under Buhari. Common sense says herdsmen have killed more Nigerians than it ever happened in her history as a sovereign nation. Commonsense reveals Nigerians are hungrier than they were in 2015. Commonsense shows Buhari's so-called anti-corruption war is targeted at perceived enemies of APC administration. Commonsense says corrupt politicians are shielded by Buhar's govt as far as they remain Sai Barber enchanter. Where's is Babachir(the former SGF) today? Where's Maina the fugitive today? Where's Obanikoro, the man accused by APC of rigging Ekiti election in 2014? What happens to the cases involving former NIA director-general? Who owns the money allegedly found in NIA house in Lagos? Why was Mayetti Allah treated with kid gloves in spite of their damming utterances? I can go on and on but let me leave ypu and all Buhari apologists with God and their conscience. The blood of the innocents would cry on your heads.

Those who have ears, let them hear. Simple question: Is your life better than it was before 2015. We all know the answer. Every propaganda has an expiry date. The latest propaganda is that those who want Aisha's husband back to Daura are those who don't want to go to jail for corruption. That's a lie from the pit of hell. Anybody who want to avoid jail can as well defect to APC. We need to change this change.

abescom:
Why not wait till then? Like you have more than one vote. You lot said more than that pre the last election.

How wrong can you be? Though I can only vote with one PVC, but I have been able to convince hundreds of other PVC holders never to be deceived again. They would surely vote against Buhari in 2019. No doubt about that.

I've always maintained that no normal, neutral Nigerian supports the APC and its useless president in light of all that has transpired in the last three years.

There's simply nothing to show for the last, lost three years that Buhari and his party of liars, cheats and murderers have been in power.

OLADD:


How wrong can you be? Though I can only vote with one PVC, but I have been able to convince hundreds of other PVC holders never to be deceived again. They would surely vote against Buhari in 2019. No doubt about that.

You are overrating your importance mate. You honestly think APC fans won't do the same?

Let me ask you, which of the PDP presidential aspirants have the popularity to defeat Buhari. But logical and sensible.

OLADD:


You can chant Sai barber a million times, it doesn't erase the fact that Buhari is going back to Daura next year. Quote me in 2019.

Seems you're just waking up!
We've had more hallucinators like you before 2015 election even when PMB was an opposition candidate.

So keep believing but know this that PMB isn't GEJ

OLADD:


Common sense shows Nigeria is now more divided under Buhari. Common sense says herdsmen have killed more Nigerians than it ever happened in her history as a sovereign nation.

Herdsmen have been causing a lot of damage to Buhari's government and by and large Nigerians and I agree with this. But let me commonsensically ask you, what makes you think Buhari would by himself be harming is own government?

Couldn't it be that those who are behind these killings are those who want to become what he is today or do you honestly think Buhari will take arms AGAINST his own government?

Commonsense reveals Nigerians are hungrier than they were in 2015.

This is true as well. But what were you expecting? GEJ got into government with the reserve at over $68 Billion but depleted it to about $30 billion despite selling oil at all time high price. What were you expecting? That we continue to live large while oil price was ridiculously low with no savings?

Commonsense shows Buhari's so-called anti-corruption war is targeted at perceived enemies of APC administration.

Let me commonsensically ask you, what problem do you have with Buhari going against those who are corrupt be it in APC or in PDP. Let's assume for once he is going against those in PDP alone, are these people corrupt or not? Or has there been anyone jailed without the court pronouncing them as corrupt?

Commonsense says corrupt politicians are shielded by Buhar's govt as far as they remain Sai Barber enchanter. Where's is Babachir(the former SGF) today? Where's Maina the fugitive today? Where's Obanikoro, the man accused by APC of rigging Ekiti election in 2014? What happens to the cases involving former NIA director-general? Who owns the money allegedly found in NIA house in Lagos?

Right those people should have been tried and yes they have not been tried which is a disgrace but does that mean those who are corrupt from PDP should not be tried because some others have not been tried? Others should be given a free hand too? And the last time I checked, the Obanikoro's case is still in court same as Orji Uzo Kalu's case and they are both in APC.

Why was Mayetti Allah treated with kid gloves in spite of their damming utterances? I can go on and on but let me leave ypu and all Buhari apologists with God and their conscience. The blood of the innocents would cry on your heads.

The utterance that were denied? How do you take them on because a journalist said they said? Does the law court work that way?

In conclusion I think you should be happy PDP is witch hunting corrupt people and just wait patiently for Buhari himself to be witch hunted if he is corrupt. The domino effect will only be good for us Nigerians. Don't kill yourself because you hate someone and love a mere polithiefian.

Apc is living under propaganda to run the country. It won't take time before everything fall apart

abescom:
Herdsmen have been causing a lot of damage to Buhari's government and by and large Nigerians and I agree with this. But let me commonsensically ask you, what makes you think Buhari would by himself be harming is own government?

Couldn't it be that those who are behind these killings are those who want to become what he is today or do you honestly think Buhari will take arms AGAINST his own government?


This is true as well. But what were you expecting? GEJ got into government with the reserve at over $68 Billion but depleted it to about $30 billion despite selling oil at all time high price. What were you expecting? That we continue to live large while oil price was ridiculously low with no savings?

Let me commonsensically ask you, what problem do you have with Buhari going against those who are corrupt be it in APC or in PDP. Let's assume for once he is going against those in PDP alone, are these people corrupt or not? Or has there been anyone jailed without the court pronouncing them as corrupt?

Right those people should have been tried and yes they have not been tried which is a disgrace but does that mean those who are corrupt from PDP should not be tried because some others have not been tried? Others should be given a free hand too? And the last time I checked, the Obanikoro's case is still in court same as Orji Uzo Kalu's case and they are both in APC.

The utterance that were denied? How do you take them on because a journalist said they said? Does the law court work that way?

In conclusion I think you should be happy PDP is witch hunting corrupt people and just wait patiently for Buhari himself to be witch hunted if he is corrupt. The domino effect will only be good for us Nigerians. Don't kill yourself because you hate someone and love a mere polithiefian.

1. For political expediency, Buhari would never do anything that would hurt the cult following he enjoys from his Fulani folk. Why do you think he's reluctant in declaring Fulani herdsmen as terrorists despite the wanton killings? It's simply because he doesn't want to loose votes from them? So, indirectly, he's inadvertently working against his own govt while amassing political capital in return. That's the crust of the matter..

2. Buhari's govt has borrowed more than N10 trillion (yes, 10 trillion) in three years as against N7 trillion borrowed under PDP"s 16-year rule, doesn't that raise alarm? In accounting, when you recognise asset you must also take liability into consideration. Buhari has grown the reserve to more that $40 billion but what about N11 trillion debt they couldn't account for. Jonathan would rather deplete the reserve and keep our foreign debt moderate but Buhari is trading the future of Nigeria by embarking on senseless debts while deceiving us with increase in reserve.

3 Go through the two dominant holy books in Nigeria (Bible and Quran) and tell us where selective justice is condoned. God frowns at selective justice and He would never allow any ruler that threads that lane to succeed. Buhari's anti corruption war is selective and that's why he would never succeed as a president.

4. A govt that claims to be costodian of positive change (most especially in the area of anticorruption) should not be seen hobnobbing with the likes of Obanikoro, Orji Uzor Kalu, Akpabio etc, who they constantly vilified for corruption in the past. These are the same people APC accused of "destroying" the country in 16 years. Is that not deceit and hypocracy?

My friend, you'll need to go beyond the ordinary to defend Buhar's administration. This govt is a waste.

OLADD:


1. For political expediency, Buhari would never do anything that would hurt the cult following he enjoys from his Fulani folk. Why do you think he's reluctant in declaring Fulani herdsmen as terrorists despite the wanton killings? It's simply because he doesn't want to loose votes from them? So, indirectly, he's inadvertently working against his own govt while amassing political capital in return. That's the crust of the matter..

This explanation is quite very funny. Honestly. You think Fulanis that adore Buhari and take him as their own will take arms against the same Buhari. Also let me ask you what do you think the Herdsmen gain by just killing people. Please note that most of the news are always that they just go into a village and start killing, it is not that they go into people's farm and were stopped and then started killing.

And you think Buhari is so stupid to believe he only needs votes from the north to win the election? And have you wondered why it is only in the north that the killing is nor rampant? And specially in Buhari's strong holds? And they are not killing igbos or yorubas or hausas but mostly fulanis too.

2. Buhari's govt has borrowed more than N10 trillion (yes, 10 trillion) in three years as against N7 trillion borrowed under PDP"s 16-year rule, doesn't that raise alarm? In accounting, when you recognise asset you must also take liability into consideration. Buhari has grown the reserve to more that $40 billion but what about N11 trillion debt they couldn't account for. Jonathan would rather deplete the reserve and keep our foreign debt moderate but Buhari is trading the future of Nigeria by embarking on senseless debts while deceiving us with increase in reserve.

Mate I thought we are arguing sensibly and not just distorting facts? How can you say GEJ kept Nigeria's foreign reserves at a moderate level? He met it at $68 billion and left it at less than $30 billion despite selling fuel at all time high price. Buhari is borrowing he is at least having roads, rails and the likes to show for it, what has GEJ got to show for his. Let's do like for like comparison please.

3 Go through the two dominant holy books in Nigeria (Bible and Quran) and tell us where selective justice is condoned. God frowns at selective justice and He would never allow any ruler that threads that lane to succeed. Buhari's anti corruption war is selective and that's why he would never succeed as a president.

Which APC member is corrupt and has had his corruption case dropped. Name me 1.

4. A govt that claims to be costodian of positive change (most especially in the area of anticorruption) should not be seen hobnobbing with the likes of Obanikoro, Orji Uzor Kalu, Akpabio etc, who they constantly vilified for corruption in the past. These are the same people APC accused of "destroying" the country in 16 years. Is that not deceit and hypocracy?

First when it was announced that EFCC was probing the likes of Obanikoro and Akpabio were you and your kind not saying they were been witch hunted? So they are now corrupt all because they are in the same party with Buhari that you enjoy hating? And as for Obanikoro he refunded the money they asked him to refund. Not that he actually stole the money, the case was that he should have known that the money he was given by ATM Dasuki and GEJ was stolen and has since been returned. Show me one of your posts going against the likes of Dasuki, Dokpesi, Metuh, Fayose, FFK and the likes. Go on, do it.

My friend, you'll need to go beyond the ordinary to defend Buhar's administration. This govt is a waste.

I have brain cells to decide for myself.

abescom:
This explanation is quite very funny. Honestly. You think Fulanis that adore Buhari and take him as their own will take arms against the same Buhari. Also let me ask you what do you think the Herdsmen gain by just killing people. Please note that most of the news are always that they just go into a village and start killing, it is not that they go into people's farm and were stopped and then started killing.

And you think Buhari is so stupid to believe he only needs votes from the north to win the election? And have you wondered why it is only in the north that the killing is nor rampant? And specially in Buhari's strong holds? And they are not killing igbos or yorubas or hausas but mostly fulanis too.

Mate I thought we are arguing sensibly and not just distorting facts? How can you say GEJ kept Nigeria's foreign reserves at a moderate level? He met it at $68 billion and left it at less than $30 billion despite selling fuel at all time high price. Buhari is borrowing he is at least having roads, rails and the likes to show for it, what has GEJ got to show for his. Let's do like for like comparison please.

Which APC member is corrupt and has had his corruption case dropped. Name me 1.

First when it was announced that EFCC was probing the likes of Obanikoro and Akpabio were you and your kind not saying they were been witch hunted? So they are now corrupt all because they are in the same party with Buhari that you enjoy hating? And as for Obanikoro he refunded the money they asked him to refund. Not that he actually stole the money, the case was that he should have known that the money he was given by ATM Dasuki and GEJ was stolen and has since been returned. Show me one of your posts going against the likes of Dasuki, Dokpesi, Metuh, Fayose, FFK and the likes. Go on, do it.

I have brain cells to decide for myself.

Go through your rejoinders again and see if you truly responded directly to the points I raised. Rather, you were just meandering and beating about the bush all in an attempt to hold the readers spell bound. Anyway, go to the streets and seek public opinion on Buhari's govt, you'll be utterly shocked. I like your courage in trying to market a bad product but I can tell you it's an exercise in futility. I rest my case here.

OLADD:


Go through your rejoinders again and see if you truly responded directly to the points I raised. Rather, you were just meandering and beating about the bush all in an attempt to hold the readers spell bound. Anyway, go to the streets and seek public opinion on Buhari's govt, you'll be utterly shocked. I like your courage in trying to market a bad product but I can tell you it's an exercise in futility. I rest my case here.

You will not lose your reward for educating that Mallam, unfortunately, he is not getting it!