As the nation celebrates its 58th independence anniversary on Monday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday stated why President Muhammadu Buhari should not preside over the independence celebration.
The party, which said that the President insensitivity, impunity and oppressive proclivities are reminiscent of colonial rule, added that instead of celebrating this year’s independence celebration, Nigerians are mourning under Buhari.
PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan said that Buhari’s administration has, in the last three years, turned “our nation into an impoverished colony where apparatus of state power has become instrument of oppression against the people.
“The Buhari administration came into power on the premise of fake promises, lies and propaganda, which it has to sustain by using falsehood, intimidation and foisting of siege mentality on the citizenry.
“Under the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) regime, our nation’s constitution has become technically suspended. Governance has reverted to oppression. Our democratic institutions, particularly the National Assembly and the Judiciary, have come under siege; there is total disregard for justice and constitutionally guaranteed personal freedom. There is fear everywhere!
“Today, the world is particularly alarmed by the documented cases of human rights violations, executive high-handedness, arbitrary and extra-judicial executions, violence and bloodletting, unlawful arrests and detentions, torture, reported disappearances, restriction of free speech and press freedom, disobedience to court judgment and rigging of elections among others, as detailed in the reports by the United States Department of States, Amnesty International (AI) and Transparency International (TI).
“Due to the incompetence of the President Buhari’s administration leading to its inability to design a clear-cut economic policy direction, our once robust economy has been plunged into recession; hunger, starvation and strange diseases have so ravaged our nation that compatriots now consider slavery and suicide mission as option for survival.
“The Buhari administration has completely demarketted our nation; industries are collapsing in their numbers; local and Foreign Direct Investments have shrunken with over 30 million job losses in three years. Our naira has fallen from N165/1USD in 2015 to N360 to 1USD; cost of fuel has been hiked from N87 per liter to N145. Prices of staple food and essential commodities have soared beyond the reach of Nigerians and there is no hope in sight under the APC.
“Instead of building on the gains bequeathed by the PDP and properly harnessing our resources for economic growth, the Buhari administration resorted to borrowing and returned our beloved country to a debtor nation with over N22.4 trillion ($73.21 billion) debt burden.”
The party noted that the war against corruption is nothing but a witch-hunt against opposition members and perceived opponents of the Buhari administration, while members of the Presidency cabal, who have been indicted for frittering away over N10 trillion from the national coffers, enjoy Presidential cover.
PDP, therefore, holds that “the Buhari administration lacks the rectitude to preside over our Independence Anniversary. Moreover, Nigerians are aware that its address will be full of fake achievement indices and false promises.
“If anything, this administration now bears the stamp of deceit, incompetence and failure, for which Nigerians have resolved to vote it out in the 2019 general elections.”
Meanwhile, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, in his independence message, has urged Nigerians to ensure a more vibrant, constructive and patriotic citizen participation in the governance of the country.
Saraki in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, noted that one of the key reasons for the non-realization of the dreams of the founding fathers who fought for the nation’s independence from the colonial governement was because the citizens failed to seize control of the fortunes and future of the country while allowing sentiments to determine the choice of leaders and what national objectives should entail.
“At this point when democracy has come to stay in Nigeria, all Nigerians should use the occasion of the 58th Independence Anniversary to redefine what should constitute the Nigerian dream, rally round that dream, support leaders who are capable and competent to realize that dream.
“Citizens should stop abandoning politics and political choices to politicians and manipulative elements who invoke only religious, ethnic and geo-political sentiments to impose leadership who are only supported for the purpose of serving the interests of those who put them in office.
“Nigerians should re-dedicate themselves to the ideals of defining their personal interests in line with how it helps the realization of national objectives. Our national objectives should simply be to build a united, peaceful, economically strong, internationally respected country, with robust military, well motivated work-force, ambitious youth and fulfilled citizens.
“These ideals are what we should rally our people around. The people should not allow government officials and politicians to continue manipulating them in pursuit of narrow interests. It is only manipulation that will allow voters to ignore the competence, experience, suitability and temperament of aspirants for public office and rather focus on where he comes from, how he worships his God and how much he is ready to dole out.
“Today, as we celebrate our 58th Independence Anniversary, Nigerians should vow that the leader who will lead the country when it is celebrating its Diamond jubilee anniversary must be one who would have set this country on the path of genuine socio-economic development and political greatness.”
