TonyeBarcanista:
It is a truism that President Buhari and his APC party have failed Nigerians, and even went as far as denying their campaign promises, hence, doesn't deserve a renewal of their mandate in Aso Rock and all other positions in 2019. However, the PDP of a party(and their sub-parties like my Palmchat friend always call the LPs/APGAs etc) should never be considered as a replacement for obvious reasons.
1. PAST PDP GOVERNMENTS ALSO FAILED IN THEIR CAMPAIGN PROMISES:
I have seen some comments from some PDP loyalists lamenting that Nigeria is missing Goodluck Jonathan, and I keep shaking my head. To those who may be unaware, President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 made a whopping NIGHTY-ONE campaign promises which includes creation of 1.5 million jobs within 2years, To construct 2 world scale petrochemical plants, 2 fertilizer plants and 2 fertilizer blending plants, To build a $3 billion central gas processing facility by 2012 to be sited in Obiaruku Delta State, To attract $25 billion worth of investment into developing the country’s gas infrastructure, To create 600,000 new jobs in the gas industry, zero tolerance for corruption, transform Nigeria economy in 4 years, modernisation of ports, and so many GIGANTIC promises that can be seen here https://ogala./2011/11/18/president-goodluck-jonathans-91-campaign-promises-help-identify-those-he-has-delivered/ http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/sunday/index.php/top-stories/15666-reopening-jonathan-s-bag-of-many-promises
Just like Buhari, the last PDP administration didn't fulfill up to 2% of their promises despite the fact that they presided over oil boom period that traded at $100 per barrel in their time except late 2014.
2. PDP AND APC HAVE CORRUPT TRADITION
The administration that pledged zero tolerance for corruption became the most corrupt administration in the history of Nigeria, sharing our monies with their equally corrupt APC friends and willing civil servants. This corruption did not start from the last administration but they took it to the highest level. Our Reserves was heavily depleted from $47. 7 billion (As At December 31st, 2009) that the last administration inherited to meagre $30billion, while the Excess crude Account that Jonathan inherited at $6.5billion in February 2010 was depleted heavily and left at a meagre $2.1billion in 2015 www.thisdaylive.com/articles/excess-crude-govs-want-3bn-shared/82376/. It is a truism that within February and August 2010, Jonathan along with his PDP colleagues and APC friends deleted the ECA from $6.5billion to a meagre $450million www.vanguardngr.com/2010/08/fg-draws-down-3bn-from-excess-crude-account/. It took Ngozi Iwaela to come to the rescue to up the ECA to $9billion between 2011 and 2012 www.cp-africa.com/2012/12/03/nigerias-excess-crude-account-eca-more-than-doubles-in-one-year-as-it-rises-to-about-9-billion/, but like the corrupt tradition in both APC and PDP, the $9billion was again depleted by the Political leaders from both camps and their affiliate camps, that are always available to partake in the sharing.
In this APC administration, we have been hearing budget padding to the tune of hundred of billions, the shielding of political associates of the administration in the ongoing corruption war, the billions demanded by Lai just for China trip etc. It is even worse that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, his Deputy, minority leader (who is PDP) and some others were fingered in padded looting at the expense of our ailing economy. It is even a shame that they are justifying the fraud, and the ruling party is looking at political solution instead of judicial punishment.
Can we forget so soon the secret recruitment of PDP/APC elite kids in CBN and other agencies?
3. BOTH PARTIES ARE FAILURES
Imo state led by APC couldn't meet a simple obligation of paying workers for over seven months, Edo state is also owing workers, also Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Oyo and several others. The case is not different from PDP states of Ekiti, Ondo, Bayelsa(oil producing along with Ondo) etc.
While the FG led by APC is crying that we have no money, the government of Buhari was busy giving FOREX subsidies in the tune of multi-billions to people on pilgrimage from both the Christian and Muslim faiths. Similarly, the PDP administration in Rivers state that has pledged to stop foreign sponsorship for indigent students and even withdraw those on scholarship due to paucity of funds is the same administration that pledged to continue spending on Pilgrimage for Christians and Muslims in the state http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/wike-to-continue-sponsorship-of-pilgrims-to-israel-saudi-arabia/. If this is not failure I wonder how one can define failure.
4. PDP WILL NEVER CHANGE
When some of us joined PDP, we did with the mindset of working towards a structural change in the party that would allow space for credible people. Despite the fact that some young people expended their all to see to that change, the corrupt elite that OWNS the party has refused to repent. The same people that were fingered in looting our resources from both parties are the same people being courted by the PDP. Bukola Saraki that is undergoing trial for acute corruption is more like a god to PDP. I was even ashamed seeing PDP HOR member Tony Nwolu defending Speaker Dogara on this budget fraud. Look at the calibre of men aspiring to lead the party, the Bode George, Gbanga Daniel etc. The party is not even sober at all, just like their APC colleagues. What a shame.
5. PDP AND APC ARE HYPOCRITICAL ABOUT RESTRUCTURING
While Ekweremadu the Deputy Senate President has been shouting RESTRUCTURING, he has failed to make case for it when it matters most. As DSP since 2007, Ekweremadu has always been the Chairman of Constitution Amendment Committee but he has never for once sponsor a bill for true federalism/regionalism/or whatever. Same way APC chieftains that has been shouting TRUE FEDERALISM but have never for once agitated for it in constitution review since 1999 despite the fact that Nigerians in their majority yearned for it. These people(APC and PDP) will deliver great speech about federalism and receive standing ovation, but they won't lift a finger to make such proposal in any of the amendments. In every amendment, their focus has always been life pension, immunity from criminal prosecution and "sharing" among themselves.
I make bold to say that the real factors against the progress of Nigerians is never tribal or religious differences but the political elites within APC, PDP, and their allies.
Make no mistake, APC has a mission to deplete Nigeria and frustrate Nigerians, but PDP is like an hardened criminal that has vowed never to repent despite several rehab sessions. To PDP, it is okay to be corrupt and then cry witch-hunt at the end of the day, while to APC it is okay to be corrupt as long as you maintain saying "Yes Sir" to the APC gods.
As a country, we need opposition. It is unfortunate that some of us over the years tacitly/innocently aided the fraud of both miserable groups thinking that there will be internal change but it has been proven that these corrupt parties are not ready to change.
However, the PDP can redeem itself by embarking on true Reformation.
I shall pause here for now hoping that my message is well understood....
May God Bless Us All and Bless Nigeria It is too early to pass a final judgement on this government. With the way the government is going about to address our economic challenges, I believe Nigeria will fare better I the next 3 to 5 years than we have been under the previous governments. The problem right now is that many people are allowing the negatives to prevent them from seeing the positives. This government is unlike the previous ones .Its character is completely different though not perfect.Definitely, it will not take us to the promised land, but we would have moved far away from where we are today.  |
