Stop offering excuses, face challenge of governance, PDP tells Buhari

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as evasive, diversionary the present government’s “pile up of excuses” for possible failure in delivering on its campaign promises to Nigerians.

 The party said it is unfortunate that President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC), who were privy to the nation’s dwindling economy occasioned by global economic downturn and fall in international oil price, even before the start of the campaigns, chose to “deceive” Nigerians with bogus promises, only to now resort to excuses after using the promises to secure power at the center.

A statement by PDP national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, Tuesday, said the party notes with dismay, President Buhari’s statement on Monday, that Nigerians should not expect much from his first 100 days in office on claims that he met “virtually an empty treasury and huge debts”, noting that such only underlines the fact that the present administration is really not equipped to face the challenges of governance.

 The party re-iterated its resolve to engage only in credible and issue based opposition and asked President Buhari and the APC to note that their plea for patience from Nigerians does not arise, because there has not been any indication that they are actually serious and determined to deliver on their campaign promises upon which they rode to power.

 “Of course, Nigerians are willing to support and cooperate with the President, but we are worried that the pictures emerging from his presidency and his party do not in any way inspire hope in the citizenry, especially as they have continued to show that theirs is ostensibly a matter of obtaining power by false pretences.

 “President Buhari and the APC must know that Nigerians did not give them the mandate to engage in frivolous excuses and pleas but to hit the ground running with solutions and quick fixes they promised during the campaigns.

“We ask, is President Buhari’s statement an admission of poor knowledge of national and international economic affairs or does it underscore the lack of capacity and skills by the administration to effectively harness and galvanize resources and potential inherent in Nigeria which has already been nurtured as Africa’s largest economy and one of the fastest growing in the world.

 “Even if Nigerians decide to wait endlessly, we wonder how much the President can achieve amidst the flip-flops from his presidency and cacophony of interests from his party leaders struggling to enlarge their selfish political and economic frontiers,” the party said.