*Why We Apologized To Nigerians Party Explains
There seems to be no abating in the recent war of word, between the Federal Government, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with the main opposition party on Monday calling on the APC and the Federal Government to immediately return “all stolen funds used to finance” President Muhammadu Buhari’s election in 2015 to the Federation Account.
The PDP said the APC and the Federal Government benefited from state governors, who “stole” hundreds of billions of naira meant for the development of their states to fund President Buhari in 2015, adding that these unnamed individuals are still enjoying cover as members of the Buhari kitchen cabinet, despite outrage from Nigerians.
Vice President Yemi Osibanjo recently declared that that former President Goodluck Jonathan spent N100bn, $295m in cash two weeks to the 2015 elections.
But PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Tuesday, observed that there is no evidence that the PDP, as a party, looted public fund, alleging that, the APC and President Buhari campaigned for the 2015 presidential election with looted billions of naira meant for the provision of essential amenities for ordinary Nigerians.
The party said the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, misfired by saying, the PDP should return allegedly looted funds, “when the only party known to have used looted funds has always been the APC”.
The statement read in part: “It is, to say the least, despicable that the APC and its Federal Government, in their arrogance, would always try to play the saint when they were elected with stolen fund and have continued to reek with filth and sleaze.
“Nigerians are aware that prior to the 2015 election, President Buhari had informed that he was insolvent. He however took Nigerians by surprise as he enjoyed one of the most expensive presidential campaigns in the history of our nation, while turning a blind eye to reports of massive looting of funds from APC controlled states.
“Indeed, if there is any party that should refund looted funds, it is the APC, which directly used stolen money to scheme in the election of President Buhari in 2015, while known culpable persons now sit comfortably around the Presidential table, still superintending over the looting of our common patrimony” the statement read.
Ologbondiyan challenged President Buhari to investigate close associates accused of corruption.
“This is the same government where ministers and officials indicted for corruption and looting of public funds, particularly in the oil and gas sector, which is directly under the purview of Mr. President, are shielded and condoned.
“Even presently, Mr Adebayo Shittu, the Minister of Communication, has been accused of owing his aides N13m; that he has no fewer than 12 houses across the nation; bought a N93m printing press; bought 25 luxury cars for his personal use, among others.
“Yet, nothing has been heard from either the dysfunctional APC or its incompetent federal government. While the repositioned PDP maintain its unpretentious stance towards Nigerians, we charge the Minister of Information to direct his demand to the Presidency and the APC as Nigerians are expecting them to refund the stolen funds they used to scheme themselves into office in 2015”, he further stated.
Also on Tuesday the PDP described its apology to Nigerians as a pathway to national healing and the remobilization of the citizenry for the task of rescuing the nation from our current pathetic situation occasioned by the “painful misrule” of the APC.
The PDP insisted that it is committed to the good of Nigerians, even as, ” it is deeply saddened that our people are suffering because the nation allowed the APC, a movement that has neither structure nor plan, to scheme itself into governance, devastate the country, wreck our once robust economy and plunge our citizens into a situation of hunger, starvation and daily bloodletting”.
APC) had dismissed Monday’s apology made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over the mistakes of the administrations it produced.
The APC in a statement issued on Tuesday, by its
National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, said it was understandable that the PDP apologised “for the damage the party has wrought on the country’s democratic fabric during its sixteen year rule”.
He however said the PDP must go a step further by undergoing restitution and atoning for its sins.
The statement read in part: “Despite this belated grovelling apology, PDP will need to come clean, confess to their sins and fully atone for it, before restitution is considered.
“As they say, to err is human but forgiveness is divine. We join PDP in praying to God to forgive them, but Nigerianss are human, who are still suffering from the years of PDP’s misrule.
“Therefore, even if Nigerians are gracious enough to forgive, they will not forget in a hurry”.
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