Prominent Northern leaders on Saturday refuted claims by some
politicians in the country who are branding the All Progressives
Congress (APC) government as clueless, commending the ruling party for
providing the insight and leadership to achieve prosperity in Nigeria.
The leaders also praised the ruling party for sanitizing the polity,
reversing Nigeria’s economic decline and restoring law and order in
the country.
“The APC government is not clueless. It is on course to creating an
inclusive and broad based economy that offers opportunities and jobs
to all our people” the leaders said.
The leaders who were in Abuja to take the temperature of Nigeria and
to look back over the past 18 years said Nigeria can only be developed
through sacrifice, hard work, dedication and commitment from its
people at all levels.
The leaders in a communiqué issued after the meeting in Abuja
commended the ruling party for lifting Nigerians out of destitution
and presenting a clear policy to tackle the economic challenges in the
country.
“APC remains focused and visionary. Nigeria is moving at multiple
levels. There is a concentrated effort to purge corruption in the
country” the leaders said.
The communiqué was read by the chairman of APC United Front, Alhaji
Ibrahim Musa.
The leaders praised the ruling party for rescuing Nigeria from the
excesses of democracy under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
They described the 16 years of PDP government as a political
earthquake in Nigeria’s history,
“There was poverty, falling living standards of the ordinary people,
environmental destruction, trouble in North-East, huge unemployment,
broken infrastructure and massive corruption. There was decrepit in
health and educational institutions. Nigeria’s economic situation
suffered decline. PDP lacks fresh ideas” they said.
Specifically, the leaders emphasized how PDP turned the nation into
economic mess.
They condemned in strongest terms the egregious display of hatred,
narrow-mindedness and meanness by Goodluck Jonathan, Ayo Fayose,
Willie Obiano, Nyesom Wike, Femi Fani-Kayode, Ebenezer Babatope, Reno
Omokri, Timi Frank and Mr. Pharez Okpere.
The leaders also commended the National Chairman of APC, Chief
Odigie-Oyegun for his vision, which is anchored on unity of purpose
and the desire to work together in order to move Nigeria to an era of
economic and political transformation.
“Chief John Odigie-Oyegun is selfless, disciplined and result
oriented. He has become the standard by which political party chairmen
are measured in and outside Africa. The APC national chairman is
thinking outside the box and consolidating the ruling party.”
The leaders while urging members of the civil society, the press and
others not to join critics of President Muhammadu Buhari and APC in
damaging Nigeria’s name on the world stage said the disagreement among
major political actors in some APC states would not affect the
electoral fortune of the party.
“We are opposed to leadership that focuses on enriching itself. APC is
giving effect to the will of the people and will continue in Gombe,
Taraba, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Bauchi, Katsina, Benue and Jigawa. It will
form the next government in Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi Delta, Bayelsa,
Anambra, Ekiti and Osun.”