Tempers are high as convention begins to choose Nigeria presidential candidate

 

Key players in the Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) seem not to be united on the mechanism of electing a presidential candidate of the party for the 2023 general election.

 

There are indications that tempers are high because whoever emerges from 13 remnant aspirants will lead the party into next February’s election against Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition party. 10 aspirants have been disqualified.

The Nigerian law does not allow one person to rule more than two tenures of 4 years each. Therefore, President Muhammadu Buhari is not allowed to stand after serving two terms of office.

 

More than 2000 delegates are expected to vote, according to earlier information from the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

 

The convention comes a day after gunmen killed dozens of worshippers in the south-western Ondo state. The attack at the St Francis Catholic church in the town of Owo highlights the worsening insecurity under the APC, which Nigeria’s next president will have to confront.

That, high unemployment and rising inflation are expected to be the main election issues.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu and Rotimi Amaechi, until recently a transport minister, are the favourites to be chosen as the APC candidate.

The APC emerged as a coalition of major political parties from northern and western Nigeria in 2013 and managed to seize power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.

The party was re-elected into power four years later and has since consolidated its reach across Nigeria, winning several local parliamentary seats and taking onboard defecting governors in southern Nigeria.

Some senior party members, including President Buhari, have been pushing for a consensus candidate to avoid a vote at the convention that might split the party.

Mr Buhari told the party’s governors last week that he expected “reciprocity” from them at the convention in choosing his successor, which many have interpreted as his desire to impose a candidate on the party.

Powerful northern APC governors last week said they supported a southern candidate to succeed Mr Buhari, who is a northerner, in continuation of a controversial agreement to alternate power between northern and southern Nigeria.

 

 

 

Ruling party, APC wins coveted populous Kano State

 

The hard war has been fought between the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the supplementary elections in Northern states of Nigeria.

Results from the State shows that APC has won the supplementary election conducted in Kano, the most politically populous state in the country by Independent National Electoral Commission INEC in 28 affected Local Government Areas in Kano on 23rd Saturday March.

Governor Umar Ganduje is therefore returned to the government house for another term of four years.

While the PDP took Benue, Bauchi and Sokoto states, the APC has won Plateau State and Kano.

Dependable reports say APC polled a total of 45,876 while the Peoples Democratic Party PDP got 10,239 votes of the 57,777 accredited voters.

 This was declared by the Returning Officer Prof B. B Shehu.

 

Lagos, Imo APC Gubernatorial primaries mired in controversy

 

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on Tuesday described the results being circulated as the outcome of the Imo governorship primaries as fake.

Meanwhile, Clement Ebri, a former Governor of Cross River State who is the head of the electoral panel set up by the APC to conduct the governorship primary in Lagos has said no primary was held in the state on Tuesday.

There are already figure in the public domain purportedly brandished by the Lagos APC electoral panel of votes between incumbent governor Akinwunmi Ambode and challenger Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Sanwo-Olu enjoys the support of majority of the APC leaders in the state including ex-governor Bola Tinubu.

Ebri was quoted to have said that  he was not aware that any primary held as all election materials brought from Abuja were still intact.

The National Spokesperson of the APC, Yekini Nabena, was also quoted to have said that he was not aware of the cancellation of Tuesday’s primaries.

But Ebri later confirmed the primaries did not hold.

“Well, they said they were holding something, I didn’t know about it because we are busy crosschecking the architecture for it. So I am not quite aware of that,” Ebri said.

He said his committee was just concluding meetings with relevant stakeholders, after which materials will be shared for the election expected to hold Wednesday morning.

“We are trying to see if we can do an early one tomorrow. We now have all the parties present. They came. We just finished the meeting now,” he said.

Asked if he ordered for the reported elections in parts of the state, he replied: “No, no, no that wasn’t…we need to tidy up things properly. We need to.”

He also said he did not know the source of the materials used for the elections as those given to his committee were still intact.

Ebri had earlier echoed a similar statement at a press conference in Lagos Tuesday afternoon.

At the press conference, he said representatives of both governorship aspirants failed to furnish the committee with the list of their election monitors.

“Yesterday we were told to adjust our modalities to suit the open ballot that the state is clamouring for and we told them that for us to do that, both parties will present a list of representatives from all wards that would represent them in the election and it wasn’t provided,” Mr Ebri said while responding to a question on whether Tuesday’s primaries had been cancelled.

“Anything that was done without the list we waited for, I can’t wait for a list for over nine hours and I didn’t see anything and you expect me to go ahead? We had a meeting with the representatives of the aspirants as early as 8am and we told them to bring lists of representatives from each LG to monitor the election on their behalf. I got names for 20 LG reps from one side and only got seven from the other side and we just got for additional eleven LG from them.

“And you don’t expect us to go on with an election where one person is represented and the other is not. I believe what we have decided is the best. There was no election and we will communicate when materials for the election will be distributed and election conducted.”

Earlier, while addressing the media, Mr Ebri said the NWC had been “dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s to ensure that the victory that will be procured at the end of the day will be celebrated by both parties.

“Because there are two major contenders in the primary election, they needed to take their time to prepare well in other to ensure that they were fair to both parties.”

Oshiohmole stated that while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

The APC chairman also revealed that the party had disbanded the Ahmed Gulak-led Committee that conducted the party’s governorship primaries in Imo State.

According to him, another committee will be set up immediately for the conduct of fresh primaries in the state before the end of the week.

“Imo was not too good news for today, but not surprising they have to learn to begin to comply with rules, they have two fake results, none of them is genuine.

“We will disband and we will appoint a fresh committee (electoral panel) that will conduct transparent direct primaries that reflect the will of members of APC in Imo regardless of the interest and powers that are behind any of the groups.

“The truth does not require supporters club to stand, it has its hands and legs and we will do just that”.

Mr Oshiohmole, who said he was in the villa to update President Buhari on the developments in the APC, ruled out the possibility of honouring parallel results from states.

On the conduct of the APC primaries in Lagos State on Tuesday, the APC chairman disclosed that the National Working Committee (NWC) was in charge of the primaries and that every situation had been put under control.

“I told the president that the primaries held as planned and everything is being done to ensure there is no violence because democracy doesn’t flourish with violence.

“Nigerians must begin to learn how to differ in opinion and in choice without fighting; this is something people have to acquire over time.

“For me, I’m excited that if we can do it in Lagos it can be done anywhere.

“Everything that is being done is done under the control, supervision and direction of the NWC.’’

Mr Oshiohmole maintained that no matter how highly a member may be, he or she must subject himself/herself to the constitution of the party.

It would be recalled that the APC National Working Committee (NWC) panel had on Tuesday announced the cancellation of the Lagos governorship primary election, saying the preparatory process for the election had just been concluded.

The Chairman of the panel, Clement Ebri, made this known when he spoke at a news conference in Alausa, Ikeja.

He said: “The preparatory process had just been concluded for the primaries. The primary is to begin anytime soon.

“There was no election. Election materials are being sorted.

“The stage is set and election begins anytime from now. We have guidelines and we will stick to the guidelines.

“Because of the political tension in the state, we decided to be very careful, very methodical. As party men, peace is more important to us than victory.

“We want a kind of victory that will be celebrated by both parties.

“We want an election that will be credible and in line with the guidelines, the extant rules and the laws of the country.

“And that is what we have done. We are ready to go to the field and execute this so that at the end of the day, we will not be accused of partisanship. Lagos is very important to us and it is a flagship of the APC.’’

(NAN)

 

 

See List: Nigeria’s ruling party, APC disintegrates, splinter faction names leaders

 

The crises rocking Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) reached crescendo on Wednesday as the splinter faction, Reformed APC  named its national and state leaders.

The Reformed APC addressed a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

Former staunch supporter of Muhammad Buhari, Buba Galadima, who read the text of the press statement, was announced as the national chairman of the faction; while Kassim Afeguba, a spokesman to ex-military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida, is the National Publicity Secretary.

See full list of the officials as announced by Mr Galadima below.

Some of the National Officers of the R-APC include:

1. Yobe State – Buba Galadima (National Chairman)
2. Kano State – Bala Muhd Gwagwarwa (National Deputy Chairman, North)
3. Abia State – Chief Theo Nkire (National Deputy Chairman, South East)
4. Ondo State – Hon. Eko Olakunle (National Vice Chairman South West)
5. Kaduna State – Hon. Hussaini Dambo (National Vice Chairman North West)
6. Kogi State – Mahmud Mohammed Abubakar – (National Vice Chairman, North Central)
7. Benue State – Hon. Godwin Akaan (Deputy National Secretary)
8. Oyo State -Dr Fatai Atanda (National Secretary)
9. Edo State – Kazeem Afegbua (National Publicity Secretary)
10. Adamawa State – Daniel Bwala (Financial Secretary)
11. Jigawa State – Abba Malami Taura (Deputy National Auditor)
12. Kwara State – Hon. Kayode Omotosho (National Treasurer)
13. Anambra State -Barr. Nicholas Asuzu (National Youth Leader)
14. Rivers State – Barr. Baride A. Gwezia (Legal Adviser)
15. Katsina State – Haj Aisha Kaita (National Woman Leader)
16. Bauchi State – Mrs. Fatima Adamu (National Welfare Secretary)
17. Ogun State -Alh. Isiak Akinwumi (Deputy Financial Secretary)
18. Zamfara State – Alh. Bashir Mai Mashi (Deputy National Treasurer)
19. Abuja – Hauwa Adam Mamuda (Deputy Welfare Secretary)
20. Sokoto State – Hon. Shuaibu Gwanda Gobir (Deputy National Publicity Secretary)
21. Katsina State – M. T. Liman (National Organising Secretary)
22. Niger State – Dr Theo Sheshi ( Deputy National Organising Secretary.
11. Some of the State Chairmen include:
1. Adamawa – Dimas Ezra
2. Anambra – Sir Toby Chukwudi Okwuaya
3. Bauchi – Sani Shehu
4. Benue – Noah Mark Dickson
5. Jigawa – Hon. Nasiru Garba Dantiye
6. Kaduna – Col. Gora (Rtd)
7. Kano – Umar Haruna Doguwa
8. Katsina – Sada Ilu
9. Kogi – Alh. Hadi Ametuo
10. Ogun – Alhaji Adeleke Adewale Taofeek
11. Ondo – Hon. Otetubi Idowu
12. Oyo – Alh. Ali Alimi Isiaka Adisa
13. Yobe – Mohammed Burgo Dalah
14. Zamfara – Alh. Nasiru Yakubu
15. Niger – Hon. Samaila Yusuf Kontagora
16. FCT – Adaji Usman

 

PDP alleges APC Govs stole N3.6 billion to fund convention

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to commence investigation into reports that the 24 governors elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) diverted N150 million each, amounting to N3.6 billion, from their state coffers, to fund the APC’s national convention.

In the same vein, the party accused President Buhari of complicit in the acts of corruption that have pervaded his administration and party and submitted that contrary to claims by cronies, he is practically lacking in integrity.

The party also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognize the new APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, as his emergence by affirmation is in violation of democratic requirements of direct voting by delegates.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan made the positions of the party known while receiving party leaders from his home Kabba/Bunu area of Kogi state, who paid him a solidarity visit at the PDP National Secretariat, Abuja on Wednesday.

“It is unimaginable that while Nigerians are suffering untold economic hardship, including unpaid salaries, due to the misrule of the APC, governors elected on the platform of the APC diverted N150 million each, amounting to a humongous N3.6 billion to fund their wasteful national convention in Abuja.

“Recently, the Brooking Report shows that under President Buhari and APC governors, millions of Nigerians are daily dropping below poverty line. According to the report, Nigeria under Buhari has become poverty capital of the world. There is hunger and starvation everywhere, yet the APC stole N3.6 billion from public coffers to fund its national convention.

“Everybody knows that APC is a party of corruption, that is why their choice of a national chairman is an individual overburdened by allegations of humongous corruption and alleged stealing of public funds, yet enjoying presidential cover, even when the petitions against him at the EFCC is in the public domain.

“The PDP restates the demand that the EFCC immediately commence investigation against Oshiomhole, otherwise, it would have no ground upon which to continue to arrest, investigate and arraign other Nigerians on allegations of corruption”, he said. 

The party also said President Buhari can no longer claim to be a man of integrity, as he have been found complicit on acts of corruption in his party and government. 

“Each time President Buhari postures as a man of integrity, informed Nigerians shudder. If he is a man of integrity, why is he condoning corruption in his presidency and surrounding himself with corrupt people? Why is he blocking the investigation of Oshiomhole over corruption allegations? Why did he allow looted funds to be used for his party’s national convention? Buhari is not a man of integrity as his handlers want Nigerians to believe”, he said.

 

 

APC is Problem With Nigeria, PDP says

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC), by its manifest retrogressive, violent and despotic proclivities, has proven to be the clog in our collective quest for national cohesion, happiness and economic prosperity as a people.

In a statement on Saturday, PDP said APC has demonstrated that it was never a political party designed for governance and development, but a contraption for oppression and vendetta.

“Already, there are plans by APC to extend the clampdown on opposition leaders to regular citizens, who have seen through their lies and deception and are in open agitation to vote them out in 2019.

We note that since the recent boast by President Muhammadu Buhari on his abuse of rights as a military ruler, there has been an escalation of clampdown on citizens, particularly, the opposition, in various parts of our country”, the party said.

PDP said it is also instructive to note that since it came to power by deceit and propaganda in 2015, the APC has done nothing except actions and comments that promote hatred, violence and daily bloodletting among Nigerians; causing of disharmony among arms and tiers of government in addition to undermining our democratic and security institutions.

“It is also on record that the APC has not formulated any clear-cut programme for good governance; it has never called its government to order in their recklessness, particularly, on the documented abuse of human rights and violation of our constitution and democratic order. 

The APC has never intervened in the bloodletting in various parts of the country, caused to fester by its incompetent and insensitive administration; it has remained aloof, giving credence to allegations that such disturbances serve its purpose of promoting confusion to frustrate the conduct of a credible, free and fair general elections. 

Despite attempts in blaming past administrations, it has since become clear that the on-going barefaced looting of our national treasury, particularly through the sleazy oil subsidy regime under President Buhari’s supervision, coupled with government’s gross incompetence and official highhandedness, are directly responsible for the economic hardship and escalated violence in our nation today.

The harsh policies of the APC administration, which has scared away investors and President Buhari’s unrelenting de-marketing of our nation in the international arena, have led to the massive closure of businesses, unprecedented loss of jobs, mass unemployment, dearth of foreign investments and total stagnation of our economy.

Uptil now, the APC has not offered any explanation to the leaked memo detailing the looting of N9 trillion at the NNPC, the budget padding in ministries, departments and agencies, stealing of billions in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) intervention funds.

We want the APC and its leaders to know that they are not bigger than our nation. Nigerians have already reached a consensus against them and no amount of harassment, arrests and trampling will cow the citizens in their resolve to vote out APC in 2019”, said the party.

 

APC Response to Obasanjo was ‘Cooked Up Indices’, Says PDP

Main opposition party in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed as ‘cooked-up indices’, the of the Federal Government to the President Muhammadu Buhari, where he asked  Buhari to shelve his second-term ambition.

 

The PDP said the indices presented by the All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled Federal Government in the attempt to justify its claimed achievements in almost three years of governance were cooked up and will be unhelpful to President Mohammadu Buhari at the 2019 elections.

The party further said the Federal Government arrogantly issued misleading indices at a time it ought to be very sober for its failures, thereby exposing the level of scorn and disdain it has for suffering Nigerians.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in the statement said the Federal Government has refused to understand that the issues raised by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, for which he advised President Buhari not to seek re-election, are already trending in the minds of Nigerians and cannot be dismissed with doctored reports and half truths.

The party also described as highly unfortunate the resort to falsehood by the Federal Government while cleverly glossing over very serious issues of deteriorating economy, incessant killings, fuel crisis, corruption in the corridors of power and absolute failure of governance as raised by Nigerians.

The PDP said it amounts to executive rascality for the APC Federal Government to use its Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to falsely claim that the economy, which it wrecked, has come out of recession, when the glaring reality shows skyrocketing costs, soaring unemployment rate, unabating closure of businesses as well as accumulation of foreign and domestic debts.

In its attempt to further hoodwink Nigerians, the Federal Government through the minister of information cleverly stated that the nation’s Foreign Reserves had risen to $40bn, while covering the fact presented by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that our foreign debt has also escalated to $15.2bn under APC’s misrule.

This is also a government whose domestic debt profile has scared many contractors off their sites and forcing millions of Nigerians into the labour market while development projects initiated by the PDP across the nation remains stagnated.

The Federal Government also failed to inform Nigerians that other foreign financial instruments are being depleted, including the Excess Crude Account (ECA), from which they attempted to pilfer $1bn last year.

It is ridiculous for the APC-led Federal Government to rely on an NBS report in giving an impression that the nation’s inflation rate has fallen at 15.37% while hiding the fact that inflation rate as at May 2015, when it took over rein of governance from the PDP, was 13.7%.

This is even as the soaring price of commodities exposes the fact that 15.37% is not positive, as the APC government wants Nigerians to believe. The fact is that the APC is plunging the nation into deeper economic woes while trying to sugarcoat the issues with figures.

Furthermore, the Federal Government attempted to delude Nigerians by claiming that the naira has become stable while glossing over the fact that it fell from about N165/1USD in 2015 to the current appalling N360/1USD.

This is in addition to phony claims of increase in foreign capital inflow of $1.8bn, while refusing to address facts from NBS that under their misrule, 16 million Nigerians are unemployed, 18 million more are underemployed while another 27.44 million refused to work in 2016 for various reasons not unrelated to frustration in the polity.

The fact is that the Buhari-led APC government has overstretched the forbearance of our people just as its display of disdain to the suffering of Nigerians is unprecedented in our national history.

 

APC Can’t Go Back to the Electorates to Seek Votes, Says PDP

 

Main opposition party in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has lost the courage to go back to the people and seek their votes following government’s inability to fulfil 2015 campaign promises.

In a statement today, the PDP said its sweeping victories in Ekiti and Delta States Local Government polls were indications that the APC has lost its hold on the people.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenges the All Progressives Congress (APC) to immediately test its popularity among Nigerians by conducting free, fair and credible local council elections in states under its control.

“We all know that the APC is mortally afraid of going into any election, particularly at the grassroots, as Nigerians across board are bitter with them for their deceit and the wrecking of our once robust economy.

Nigerians are also at pains over the poor welfare direction of the ruling party which has resulted in the penetrating hardship now being suffered under the APC controlled Federal Government misrule.

The APC is petrified because Nigerians have renewed their interest in the PDP as the only genuine people-oriented party.

This new thinking among Nigerians has been clearly demonstrated with PDP’s sweeping victory in Osun senatorial bye election as well as the recent local council polls in Ekiti and Delta states.

Today, the APC knows it cannot go back to the same electorate it scammed in 2015 with lies and empty promises; promises of bogus jobs, monthly stipends, free meals, free houses, reduction of fuel price, bringing the dollar to the same value with the naira and other phantom promises.

The APC knows it cannot face the more than 8 million Nigerians it has rendered jobless with its reckless policies. They know that judgment awaits them from thousands of workers who were unjustly sacked in the states where APC governors rule, particularly Kogi and Kaduna.

The APC cannot also return to the states where countless helpless families’ breadwinners painfully paid the supreme price due to untold hardship under their misrule.

The party also knows it cannot return to the families of those slaughtered in Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Borno and other parts of the country by marauders encouraged and emboldened by the indifference of the Federal Government and the unguarded comments from unpatriotic Presidential aides.

That is why instead of facing the people, APC governors, who are now scared stiff of the looming disgrace awaiting them, are busy running to Abuja for help, forgetting that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Presidency will also face an inevitable crushing defeat in 2019.

The fact is that Nigerians now know the difference between the anti-people, deceitful and inept APC and the democratic, development-driven PDP which, in its 16 years in power, led the nation to economic boom, cleared huge foreign debts, repositioned the banking sector, championed the telecoms revolution we all now enjoy, revamped the railways, built new universities, reformed the ports, facilitated unprecedented growth in small and medium enterprises and placed the nation as major global investment destination.

The landslide victories of the PDP in the recent elections are therefore incontrovertible response by the people not only to the achievements of our government in the states but also to the ideological disposition of the PDP as one genuine democratic platform where all Nigerians are free to socially express, politically aspire and economically flourish.

Our advice to the APC now is that they should stop deluding themselves with the electoral happenstance they earned by lies and propaganda in 2015 as Nigerians have now reconnected with their original political platform, the PDP, to move the nation forward come 2019.

 

DON’T GET FOOLED THE SECOND TIME, PDP TELLS NIGERIANS

 

Against the background of the All Progressive Congress (APC) political rally in Umuahia, Abia state today, the opposition party in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned Nigeria not to allow themselves to be fooled the second time by the ruling party.

The opposition party said APC-led Federal Government in Nigeria has not fulfilled any of its campaign promises leading to 2015 general election in the country.

“The APC mega rally held in Umuahia, Abia state capital, today, is the height of disdain, insensitivity and insult of the ruling party to the plight and predicaments of Nigerians under their misrule.

If anything, the ruling party was in Umuahia just to spit on the faces of suffering Nigerians as well as the graves of those that have died due to the hardship occasioned by the misgovernment of the APC in their nearly three years in office.

Nigerians were disheartened to see leaders of the ruling party dancing away and making vain speeches at a time when millions are still traumatized over killings in Benue and other parts of the country, while many more are groaning under the pains of economic hardship worsened by the unabating fuel crisis in the country.

If the APC had any iota of regard for Nigerians, it would, at this moment, be brainstorming on the many woes it has caused the nation and how to shore up the economy ruined by its tactless government.

The Umuahia rally has also shown that the APC leaders are not in any way interested in the welfare of Nigerians but in their selfish, political and pecuniary interests. This even manifested in their empty speeches wherein they could not present the people with any achievement or plans for future development.

Perhaps the APC would have learnt a lesson from the scanty turnout of Nigerians at their so called “mega rally.” The cold response by the few attendees, the refusal of the people to brandish brooms and the total absence of cheers for their leaders, including the National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, constitute a loud act of rejection.

Again, we invite the APC to reflect on their failure to fulfill even the littlest of the promises they made to Nigerians in 2015. We urge Abians, and indeed, every Nigerian to take heed from the failed promises of the APC and refuse to be beguiled a second time”, the party said.

‘Oyegun Speaks from Four Corners of His Mouth in Attempt to Defend APC, FG’

 

Opposition party in Nigeria, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has blasted John Oyegun, the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) over his effort to defend the government on appointment of dead people in some federal boards in Nigeria.

The PDP said Oyegun failed to even mutter a single word of defence for the government and the ruling party. PDP on Monday told Odigie-Oyegun, to address issues and stop his resort to excuses and shifting of blames over the failures and inherent confusion in the APC-led Federal Government.

The PDP slammed Oyegun for attempting to exonerate the APC of blames over the embarrassing list of board members of federal parastatatals which contained names of deceased persons, adding that his excuses has further confirmed PDP’s position that APC and its Federal government are completely disorganized and ill-equipped to govern.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Monday said Chief Oyegun’s case is that of a leader who has no answer for the incompetence and misrule of his party.

PDP noted that Oyegun’s reaction further exposed the confusion in the APC Government and the reason all sectors of the nation’s economy are in shambles under the APC government.

“Is it not ridiculous, cowardly and a clear show of disorganization in the government for the APC National Chairman to try to exonerate his party from the failures and incompetence of a government which the party formed?

“Chief Oyegun’s comments amount to a vote of no confidence on the Presidency, but there is no way he can exonerate the APC, which he leads, from the failures of its own government.

“The APC Chairman must therefore shed his penchant for excuses and address burning issues of misrule of the APC Government.

“We challenge the APC National Chairman to address the issue of collapsing economy with its attendant 8 million job losses and countless business closures which has caused hardship on families across the country, all due to bad policies and incompetence of the APC Government.

“Nigerians are still waiting for the APC National Chairman to address the issue of the biting fuel crisis also caused by the inept APC government.

“What has Chief Oyegun to say about the now exposed corruption in the APC-led Federal Government, including sharp practices in hidden oil subsidy payouts, illegal lifting of crude worth trillions of naira to service APC interests and the unabated depletion of Nigerians foreign financial instruments by his party’s government?

“Nigerians are still waiting for the APC National Chairman to address the issue of aloofness and insensitivity of the APC Federal Government to the incessant killings of Nigerians in many parts of country by marauders,  in addition to exposed diversion of funds meant for the insurgency related matters by APC interests.

“The nation is also waiting for the APC national chairman to come up with explanations on the failure of his government to fulfill its campaign promises and why the fight against corruption has been lopsided with APC members who were publicly indicted of corruption now openly enjoying government cover.

“Instead of facing these issues agitating the minds of Nigerians, the APC National Chairman is busy passing the buck while also attempting, just like the Presidency, to claim credit for projects initiated and executed by the PDP.

“Our advice to the APC therefore is that they should spare Nigerians their excuses. They should also spare us their lies and fake promises as the citizens will never allow themselves to be deceived again as was the case in 2015”.