The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the last one year under the President Ahmed Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration as the most challenging in Nigeria since the 1966-'70 Civil War.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, said this in a statement in Abuja, late on Tuesday.
He noted that the party arrived at this conclusion after a thorough review of the worsening state of affairs of the nation in the last one year.
Ologunagba said, "The PDP insists that the current rising insecurity, excruciating poverty, economic hardship and general despondency in the country necessitating the fleeing of thousands of Nigerians especially the youths from our nation further confirm that there is no hope in sight with the APC on the saddle.
"It is apparent that inflicting pain and misery on Nigerians remains the policy thrust of successive APC administrations which became heightened by the not well thought-out twin anti-people policies of removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira without due consideration for the citizens' welfare and security.
"As if these were not enough, the APC administration continues in its anti-people policies in the arbitrary hike in electricity tariff and imposition of multiple taxes on the already impoverished Nigerians with no corresponding tangible development directed towards the welfare of the people.
"The consequences of these ill-thought and ill-implemented policies without any cushioning measures to mitigate the resultant rising cost and associated hardship on the masses have driven many into early death and extreme poverty.
"The APC's continuing use of poverty as a weapon of mass destruction is responsible for the wide spread despondency in the country where people are only preoccupied with survival rather than show interest in the government policies and activities which largely alienate them.
"It is shocking that while the Federal Government announced the removal of fuel subsidy forcing Nigerians to pay more for fuel, trillions of naira is still being reportedly paid as fuel subsidy allegedly into private bank accounts associated with corrupt APC leaders.
"Sadly, the APC in its insensitivity and disregard for the people has not bordered to render an account to Nigerians with respect to the expected savings accruable to the Federation Account as a result of the announced fuel subsidy removal."
The PDP Spokesman further said, "Instead of addressing the grave economic challenges facing our nation, the APC administration continues to wreck our productive sectors with its ill-advised policies which have resulted in the exit of multinational giants including GlaxoSmithKline, Procter and Gamble, Microsoft among others and massive divestment by major oil and gas companies from our country in the last one year.
"The consequence of these is massive loss of jobs and businesses with attendant socio-economic dislocation and uncertainty. This is compounded by the over 37% unemployment rate, inflation rate of over 33% and over 200% devaluation of the Naira in the last one year.
"It is not therefore surprising that Nigerians have completely lost hope in the APC administration which has no operable economic plan to navigate our country out of the present despair.
"More distressing is that on the security front, the APC has merely paid lip service to the security of lives and property of Nigerians with massive killings, kidnapping and marauding of communities by bandits and terrorists raging across the country.
"Since May 29, 2023, over 5000 Nigerians have been reportedly killed with many more abducted in various parts of our country with no concrete measure by the APC administration to arrest this ugly trend.
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"From reports on governance at the sub-national levels across the country, it is clear that the only hope for our nation is the performance of governors elected on platform of the PDP who continue to deliver life-enhancing citizen empowerment, human capital and infrastructural development projects with positive effect on the wellbeing of the people.
"Our Party therefore urges President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to use the occasion of his one year in office to have a deep reflection on the state of the nation under his watch; take a critical look at his policies and present a clear economic roadmap which will enhance the welfare of the Nigerian people. He should also address the allegation of corruption and profligacy in the administration.
"The PDP commends Nigerians for their steadfastness and urges them not to allow the failures of the APC administration to make them lose hope in Democracy and the Nation."
