BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, says Nigerians have realized that voting out Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 remains a huge costly electoral mistake they must correct come 2019.
He said that Nigerians dumped the PDP out of anger and impatience, but are now back to their senses and will not repeat the mistake of voting the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next general elections.
Alhaji Lamido, one of the leading aspirants gunning for the presidential ticket on the PDP’s platform, said nothing better was expected from the APC being a collection of strange bedfellows in the nation’s political space
The ex-governor, currently standing trial for corruption while in office, made the remarks in Dutse, Jigawa State when he hosted the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo and others party top shots on a meet-the-people tour of the North-West state.
He described APC is a combination of many political parties, unlike the PDP that remains an independent party with a common ideology and national outlook, protecting the interests of all ethics groups in the country.
The presidential aspirant said time has come for Nigerians to retrace their steps and embrace a party that cares for their welfare, adding that it is importance for Nigerians to rally round the PDP in 2019 in the interest of unity and progress of the country.
Also speaking at the rally, PDP National Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, described the APC as more corrupt party than the PDP, saying its governance has brought hunger and untold hardship to Nigerians in the last three years.
He said the 16 years of PDP administration borrowed only N3 trillion, with records showed that the APC has amassed about N11 trillion in loans just under three years in office.
The PDP Chairman, who described the situation as not only ‘pathetic’ but ‘undemocratic, disgraceful and deceptive’ by the party and its followers, alleged that corruption has engulfed all government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) with the APC administration watching helplessly with no clue on how to curb the governance mishap and prosecute the perpetrators.
Secondus said it is sad that “Even the so called anti-corruption agencies have becomes toothless bull dogs used in intimidating opposition political parties and their members.”
In his remarks, the Gombe State governor, Alhaji Dankwambo, who represented PDP Governors’ Forum at the Dutse rally, said they will all support any candidate that emerges as the Party’s presidential candidate for the 2019 polls.
Another speaker and former Kano State Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, said Nigerians were deceived with empty promises by the APC administration and are now prepared to vote out the governing party in 2019.
