PDP is a failure; Nigerians tired of them – Fashola, Okorocha
Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday said Nigerians are tired of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring the newly formed opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC) as a child of necessity.
Fashola spoke yesterday in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, after his Osun State counterpart, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, read the communiqué of the meeting of the APC governors in Maiduguri attended by Dr. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Owelle Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abubakar Aliyu, Yobe deputy governor who represented Governor Ibrahim Gaidam and the host, Kashim Shettima of Borno State. The Lagos helmsman said Nigeria and Nigerians had never had it so good for people of like-minds to come together to chart a new course for the country.
“This is a big party and Nigeria has never had it so good. APC is a child of necessity because Nigerians are tired of PDP government,” Fashola declared. He also said the new party would not be dragged into the ongoing fray in the PDP, saying Nigerians knew what APC stood for and those involved in the process of the emerging new party. His words: “Our vision is clear and Nigerians know what we stand for. We have been standing for the unity and progress of this country, for social justice, for our people to have good life.
We have been standing up in the period of tribulation including the period of doctrine of necessity, fuel crisis, teachers’ crisis and true federalism. We have always been advocating for this and this is another moment of crisis in our country when we have to come out to speak together.” Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola who read the communiqué said the APC governors’ forum reiterated their irrevocable commitment to the emergence of the new party.
He disclosed that the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi and that of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari had sent apologies for their inability to attend the Maiduguri meeting. He also commended the Central Merger Committee on the progress made concerning the registration of the new party. “We wish to commend the Central Merger Committee of the APC on the progress so far made in the establishment of the new party, particularly the recent inauguration of three major committees on constitutions, manifesto and legal/INEC compliance.
We wish to inform Nigerians that we shall soon embark on national outreach and sensitisation activities and we call on all Nigerians to support our efforts to rescue our country from visionless leadership,” the communiqué read.
Aregbesola said the APC governors’ meeting was brought to Borno to identify with the people and to see the impact of the insecurity in the area, adding that they had thought nothing was going on in the troubled state until they came.
“Contrary to the image of rampant violence that has been painted to the whole world, we have discovered the people going about their businesses without let or hindrance.
We wish to commend the efforts of our brothers-governors in the two states (Borno and Yobe) and the security agencies. We also sympathise with the families of those who lost their lives and properties and wish to donate a sum of N200 million to the two states.” Both governors Okorocha, Oshiomhole and Amosun also spoke on the meeting.
While justifying the rationale behind the donation, Oshiomhole said they sourced the monies from the treasuries of their various states, adding that there was nothing wrong in using taxpayers’ monies in caring for Nigerians in other places who were in trouble or need. “We do that to show unity, togetherness and identify with other Nigerians in their period of pains,” he maintained.
Meanwhile, the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has described the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a failed political party, which had not only deepened poverty in the country but had continued to marginalize the South-East in the affairs of the nation.
The governor who was a founding member of the PDP vowed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would certainly replace the PDP in the South-East. Addressing a press conference at the Government House in Owerri yesterday, Governor Okorocha said his decision to join the APC because of the disappointment of Nigerians in the ruling PDP.
He added that the formation of the APC was squarely to address the maladministration of the ruling PDP in the last 12 years.
Okorocha stressed that Nigerians were already fed up with the dismal performance of the PDP. He noted that the formation of the All Progressives Congress was the best thing that had ever happened in the annals of the country’s political history as major opposition parties for the first time, decided to form a new political platform with the singular aim of giving the people a credible alternative.
He added that his support for the APC stemmed from the fact that it was a party that had as one of its cardinal objectives the welfare of the people, good governance and internal democracy.
“The APC is the best for the nation’s democracy and it is the first time in the political history of the nation that major opposition political parties decided to form a new party by merging and not an alliance as was the case in the past, in order to provide credible alternative for the people of Nigeria. “I support the APC because the people are tired of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and there is no going back for me and the APC will replace the PDP in the South-East and it is time for zone to move further because it has been marginalized by the ruling PDP.
Okorocha also dismissed the misconception that the APC was a tribal party, saying that both General Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Ahmed Tinubu were leaders who had the trust of their people, adding that it was also not true that Ndigbo could not work with the Yoruba.
“APC is not a regional party and it is also not true that Ndigbo cannot peacefully co-exist in the same political party with the Yoruba. We have more Ibos in the South-West more than any other parts of the country and some of them are even councilors there. Both Buhari and Tinubu are true nationalists and not tribalists as being misconstrued by some enemies of progress.
“Again I want to inform you that APGA is not joining the APC but an equal stakeholder as a founding member and it is the best interest of the South-East, and the PDP already knows that its time is up.”
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