‘PDP has sentenced Nigeria to underdevelopment’

ABUJA- Worried by the state of affairs of the nation in the last 16 years, the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Buhari yesterday said that the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has sentenced Nigeria to underdevelopment.

He also stated that the period has been a time of economic boom and enormous resources for the country yet there was little or nothing to show for it.

Buhari spoke when he paid audience to the representatives of 14 political parties including APC under the umbrella of Coalition of Progressive Political Parties (COP3), who sought his assistance in the entrenchment of democracy in the country.

The parties included Peoples Democratic Party (PDM), African Peoples Alliance (APA), KOWA party, Social Democratic Party (SDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), HOPE democratic party, Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), United Peoples Party (UPP), Accord party, Independent Democratic (ID), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), and Action Alliance (AA)and All Progressives Congress ( APC).

He said: “We appreciate the stage we are in our political development. We have been sentenced to underdevelopment by the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

“We challenge the PDP, let them account for their stay in power for 16 years of rulership,in terms of the fundamental objectives we have been talking about,in the three most important aspects we have been talking about- in the areas of security, economy and corruption.

“We have been very consistent about these issues but people who are sitting on the periphery have kept on making noise and wasting our time. Let them come and defend themselves in what they have done in the last 16 years, with the incredible resources they made within this period.

“The incredible resources this country realized within this period, which is much more than what the country made since the amalgamation in 1914. If you go and get this record from the Central Bank. The type of money we made in the last 16 years, we have never made it before.

“We used to have Nigeria Airways, NIgeria Shipping Line, Nigeria Railways etc. But what do we have now?, nothing.Look at the state of our Naira. Now you have to get 220 something Naira for a dollar .How can we develop under this system?

Buhari expressed gratitude to the group, expressing hope that the coming elections will be credible.

“I honestly appreciate how you arrived at this decision to co-operate with us in this election.This decision is very patriotic. We have to appreciate the stage we are in . We have to realize that we can save the system and our country if we come together.

“So we do appreciate the role you are playing right now. Our survival as a nation depends on our coming together and insist that there must be free, fair and credible election”, he said.

Meanwhile, while unveiling their mission, the Chairman of the group and national chairman of PDM, Bashiru Yusuf Ibrahim who led the delegation reeled out the objectives.

They included: To mobilise Nigerians to play greater role in political activities in the Country and ensure they are given the right to elect their leaders in a free, fair and credible electoral process.

*To monitor and exert pressure on INEC as well as the government and its agencies to uphold the sanctity of dates of elections; conduct free, fair and credible elections; declare winners and ensure they take office according to the provisions of the law.

*To engage major stakeholders in Nigerian politics and to seek partnership in order to prevent the Country from getting into political crisis.

*To help identify security threats to lives and property and share information with relevant authorities and where necessary, with members of the public.

*To be involved in information management and correct acts and utterances capable of undermining our democracy and peaceful co-existence.

*Explore other ways and means of cooperation and understanding, including mergers and electoral alliances, in order to deepen democracy in our Country