Ekweremadu decries APC’s poor performance, huge debt profile

The All Progressives Congress (APC)-led central administration has fared very poorly on major indices on the back of which it came to power, including security, economy, job creation and national unity, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has said. He further described the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the saddle as the nation’s glorious years, stating that “good men and women who left PDP for the APC are eager to return to join us to build a better Nigeria.” A statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Uche Anichukwu, cited Ekweremadu as saying “the PDP worked out Nigeria’s debt forgiveness and paid up our remaining debts, but today, we are getting indebted more than any other time in the history of Nigeria. “We groomed and bequeathed the fastest growing economy, as well as the largest economy in Africa. The story is different today.” He maintained that whereas the PDP years saw to job creation and improvement in agriculture and consequent low food prices, Nigerians have lived under dire realities of insecurity, unemployment and hunger under the incumbent APC Federal Government. “Millions of our people who lost their jobs in the past two years, and those who struggled through higher institutions of learning to receive education but could not find jobs in the past two years believe that when PDP returns there will be hope for them,” he said. “Our brothers and sisters from the North East, who were liberated by the PDP government but are now suffering under attacks and threats by Boko Haram, believe that they will be safe when PDP returns to power. “Our people, who are struggling every day to leave Nigeria to the so-called Eldorado in Europe but either end up in the Mediterranean or trapped in Libya and other places because of the hardship in Nigeria, believe that this convention will mark the beginning of the end of their problems, as they see hope for Nigeria in 2019.” Ekweremadu decried the level of disunity in the country today, unlike in the PDP years, which he said “showed Nigerians, in the true sense of it, that we belong to everybody. Former leaders of the nation are worried about the disunity in our country and want to see a PDP government that will reunite all of us once more. “In 16 years, we saw justice done to the people of South West of Nigeria when they were deprived the presidency. The PDP provided them with the platform to be part of this country when they made one of their sons, Olusegun Obasanjo, the president of Nigeria. “PDP, within the 16 years, showed the minorities in Nigeria that they are part of us when the party gave one of their own, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, a platform to be elected the President of Nigeria. “PDP gave amnesty to those struggling in the creeks and oil production continued because we applied dialogue instead of force and confrontation. Today, the beneficiaries of that amnesty are doing well in different sectors.” He stressed that Nigerians had witnessed darkness in the past two years, but were now eager to see the light again under the PDP.