By Seyi Babalola
The Peoples Democratic Party has cautioned President Bola Tinubu about growing impoverishment in Nigeria, saying that the reaction of hungry people is best envisaged.
The party also urged the President to “respect democratic principles, listen to Nigerians, and reconsider his policies that are suffocating life in the country.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday to commemorate Nigeria’s Democracy Day, which is observed annually on June 12, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba accused APC administrations since 2015 of undermining the democratic principles, legacies, and values for which the late Chief MKO Abiola fought and died.
The opposition party asked Nigerians to utilize this year’s Democracy Day to express their opposition to the APC’s anti-democratic policies.
The statement read in part, “The party charges Nigerians to use the occasion of this year’s Democracy Day to speak against the anti-democratic tendencies of the insensitive 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.
“It is distressing that our nation is observing Democracy Day under a system that relishes in brazen violation of the Constitution, election rigging, stifling and manipulation of opposition, muzzling of dissenting voices; undermining the judicial system and other democracy institutions in desperation to turn Nigeria into a one-party State.
“More disquieting is that all the progress and gains made by successive PDP administrations in entrenching democratic practice in Nigeria have been reversed by the APC administrations.”
Ologunagba stated that the PDP government, through its privatization and commercialization policy, liberalized the economy, resulting in improved fortunes for Nigerian citizens.
It continued, “Nigerians can recall with nostalgia the glorious days of the PDP at the return of Democracy in 1999 to 2015, which period witnessed the expansion of democracy practice and dividend; notably the conduct of free and fair elections; adherence to the Rule of Law and Principle of Separation of Powers, economic transformation resulting in Nigeria becoming a preferred foreign investment destination in the world.
“Also, the PDP Government, through its privatization and commercialization policy, liberalized the economy and the consequential improvement in the fortune of Nigeria citizens.
“Democracy is all about the supremacy of the Will of the people, the Rule of Law and the pursuit of the security and wellbeing of citizens. These ideals have been completely violated by the APC administrations, whose leaders have no respect for public opinion but delight in burdening the people through multiple taxes and looting of treasury to finance their luxury appetite while subjecting other Nigerians to a life of fear, uncertainty, despondency and abject poverty.”
