Oct 1: PDP asks Nigerians to be patriotic

* There is nothing to celebrate – CUPP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Nigerians to be patriotic on the occasion of Nigeria’s 59th Independence anniversary.

The PDP, in a statement on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, also commended the citizens for their resilience in standing up for the unity and survival of the nation despite the daunting challenges bedevilling the nation.

The party said Nigerians should keep hope alive and not surrender to despondency in the face of the alleged excesses, impunity and recklessness of retrogressive forces in high places seeking to undermine national cohesion and freedom of citizens, adding that leaders at all levels should desist from making empty promises.

“The PDP, however, notes that it is indeed depressing that after 59 years of independence and efforts by patriotic Nigerians in nurturing democratic practice and tenets, the last four years have experienced a complete retrogression to primordial division, impunity, constitutional and human rights violations, assault on institutions of democracy, disobedience to court orders, electoral malpractices and governance by a cabal.

“In the same vein, in the last four years, our nation has been faced with the challenge of falling from being one of the fastest growing economies and home to world’s happiest people to become world’s poverty capital with a citizenry confronted by misery, insecurity, escalated violence, bloodletting, kidnapping, banditry and worsened insurgency.

“The PDP, however, expressed optimism that the nation will eventually come out of the woods and urged Nigerians to use the occasion of the independence anniversary to rekindle their commitment towards the unity, stability and development of our fatherland, especially as we collectively await the retrieval of our stolen Presidential mandate at the Supreme Court,” the party said.

Also the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) in a statement today by its spokesman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, said there was no need to celebrate because of the prevailing pains, division, incompetence, banditry, tribalism and hopelessness in the land.

The CUPP said the leadership style of the present government was a mockery of the efforts of the nation’s founding fathers, adding that Nigeria was on the verge of collapse.

“For the nation’s 59th independence anniversary, there is indeed absolutely nothing to celebrate about.

“Buhari has so far displayed incompetence in administering this nation. His leadership style has rubbished all the efforts made by the nation’s founding fathers and past leaders to reposition the country for the benefit of all,” the CUPP said.