The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said President Bola Tinubu’s media chat confirmed the insensitivity of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the “widespread hardship and suffering” faced by Nigerians as a result of ill-implemented and anti-people policies of the APC.
The PDP urged Tinubu to stop relying on fabricated statistics bandied by officials of his government and travel from Abuja to Lagos by road, visit any market or take a walk on any Nigerian street to properly gauge and appreciate the real situation in the country.
The opposition party said Tinubu’s declaration of having no regrets for the sudden removal of fuel subsidy without any cushioning measures to mitigate the resultant crippling effect on the productive sector, confirmed APC’s disconnection from the primary purpose of government which is the welfare and security of the citizens.
The national publicity secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba, said Tinubu, in the chat, admitted that Nigerians are bearing the brunt of the failure and inability of the APC administration under his watch to effectively police and secure the nation’s borders to prevent the smuggling of petroleum products to neighboring countries.
Ologunagba added that PDP is disturbed that APC has failed to account for the proceeds saved from the removal of subsidy, while Nigerians are subjected to crushing economic hardship because the APC administration has failed in its fundamental duty of ensuring the territorial integrity of the nation.
“Moreover, Nigerians are appalled that instead of admitting failure and seeking for solutions, Mr. President again claimed that the nation’s economy has improved under his watch when in reality the situation has worsened with comatose productive sector, deteriorating value of the Naira at N1,700 to the US Dollar, 34.6% inflation and 40% unemployment rates in the last 18 months.
“The widespread food stampede in various parts of the country which recently led to the death of about 80 Nigerians shows that our nation is indeed in perilous time under the APC.
“The PDP holds that there is no hope in sight under the APC given its failure to embark on meaningful investments in critical sectors including agriculture and food production, electricity, petroleum and gas, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, which are the real drivers of the national economy.
“Also, alarming is President Tinubu’s claim that Nigerians can now freely and safely travel by road despite the horrible reality of banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery as well as the worsened condition of highways across the country under the APC,” the opposition party added.