. Atiku, PDP only being hypocritical – Ruling party
Main opposition Peoples Democratic Party and the ruling All Progressives Congress on Wednesday once again traded words over policies of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, said President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress have failed Nigerians.
Secondus argued that the PDP under his leadership identified with the suffering citizens, who have been exposed to unprecedented hardships, poverty, hunger, and death on account of the administration’s failure to fulfil its campaign promises to protect lives and livelihoods.
“When they were looking for power in 2015, they promised to provide jobs for our youths, they promised to reduce the pump price of petroleum products and protect lives and property, what do we have today? When they took over, a bag of rice was N18,000 today it is N35,000, is this progress?”
He spoke while addressing party supporters who besieged the PDP Legacy House, Abuja, on Wednesday.
PDP members were in Abuja to protest the hike in the pump price of petrol and electricity tariff as well as the rising cost of living in the country.
According to Secondus, “When they were looking for power in 2015, they promised to provide jobs for our youths, they promised to reduce the pump price of petroleum products and protect lives and property, what do we have today? When they took over, a bag of rice was N18,000 today it is N35,000, is this progress?”
The PDP national chairman urged the government to admit its failures and make policies that will encourage a private sector-driven economy as a way out of the current national quagmire.
He described the recent increase in the pump price of petrol as unjustifiable, noting that the same Buhari government promised to fix refineries but has reneged.
Secondus also said it was laughable that the administration and its enablers gathered together at the Villa on Tuesday to “clap for themselves,” over unverifiable claims of achievements.
“The PDP and Atiku’s reaction to what has been adjudged an inevitability by many experts clearly depicts the height of hypocrisy demonstrated by them on many issues relating to the progress and wellbeing of Nigeria”
But the APC in its reply in a statement titled, ‘Petrol, Electricity Deregulation: Hypocrisy of PDP, Atiku Exposed – APC…Freed Up Cash Funding Critical National Infrastructure,’ signed by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, declared the PDP and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as being hypocritical in their assessment of issues relating to the increase.
Nabena argued, “As genuine patriots, reputable groups and organisations, make honest contributions to the reactions about the deregulation of electricity and petrol prices, we receive with some amazement comments attributed to the Peoples Democratic Party, and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, condemning the decision of the Buhari administration to deregulate the PMS sector.
“The PDP and Atiku’s reaction to what has been adjudged an inevitability by many experts clearly depicts the height of hypocrisy demonstrated by them on many issues relating to the progress and wellbeing of Nigeria.
“The PDP’s outburst indeed exposes once again its real fraudulent character and plot to patronise Nigerians and make them suffer in perpetuity by keeping a fraudulent subsidy arrangement that feeds a few individuals at the expense of the masses.”