In a scathing statement released on Thursday, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has launched a scathing critique against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing it of inflicting widespread hardship on Nigerians and desecrating the democratic principles established by the late Chief MKO Abiola.
The PDP asserts that the current socio-economic challenges faced by the populace are a direct result of the policies implemented by the APC. The party’s spokesperson lamented that the situation in the country has significantly deteriorated under the APC’s governance, leading to widespread discontent and anger among the citizens.
Highlighting the APC’s alleged failures, the PDP stated that the party’s economic strategies and governance failures have not only stifled economic growth but have also significantly eroded the democratic gains made in past decades. Furthermore, the PDP claims that the APC has failed to uphold the democratic legacies of Chief MKO Abiola, whose struggle for democracy remains a significant milestone in Nigeria’s history.
According to the PDP, the APC’s actions have betrayed the ideals of justice, fairness, and equity that Abiola championed until his death. The opposition party charged Nigerians to use the occasion of this year’s Democracy Day to “speak against the anti-democratic tendencies of the APC which is asphyxiating, inflicting hardship, trampling on the Will and rights of the citizens and seeking to foist a totalitarian system on our nation”.
The PDP also criticized the recent opening of a N21 billion luxury mansion for Vice President Kashim Shettima by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that it is a “glimpse into the insensitivity, arrogance, impunity and reckless misdirection of resources that pervade the APC administrations”.
The main opposition party urged President Tinubu to use the occasion of Democracy Day to reflect on the state of the nation and address the growing public agitation over hunger and the high cost of living. The PDP warned that the “reaction of a hungry people is better imagined” and called on the president to listen to Nigerians and review policies that are “suffocating life in the country”.