Buhari Using Lip Service, Not Practicing True Federalism -PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) noting that they not committed to true federalism but just paying lip service to it.

Naija News understands that this is as the President, recently said that his administration is committed to true federalism.

The PDP in a statement on Tuesday said that the government has publicly in recent past shown its disdain for the subject of true federalism and restructuring.

The PDP reminded the President that Nigerians have not forgotten how he in his 2018 New Year address, rejected the idea of restructuring, by declaring that “When all the aggregates of nationwide opinions are considered, my firm view is that our problems are more to do with process than structure.”

The party also recalled how on June 9, 2017, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, in a Radio Nigeria (FRCN) interview programme, had stated that restructuring is not President Buhari’s priority.

The PDP lampooned President Buhari for trying to use another promise of true federalism to earn legitimacy for a rigged election, a ploy that is dead on arrival, as Nigerians are very much aware that he and his party, the APC, has never shown any commitment towards true federalism.

“Nigerians can also recall how the Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, on June 29, 2017, during an interview on Channels TV, denied that the APC promised restructuring and described Nigerians, who are taking his party to task on the issue, as “political opportunists and irresponsible” people.

“Our citizens have not forgotten “to hell with restructuring,” outburst of Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, a statement that captures the mindset of the totality of APC leaders towards true federalism and restructuring”, said party spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement on Tuesday,” the PDP said.

The party further noted that President Buhari ought to have known that Nigerians have seen through APC’s empty promises and beguilements and as such, cannot jettison the presidential mandate they gave to Atiku Abubakar, who they know have the commitment and will power to implement true federalism in the country, when he retrieves his mandate at the courts

The PDP said Nigerians have already bought into Atiku Abubakar’s blueprint for governance, particularly his manifest genuine commitment towards the implementation of true federalism and cannot fall for empty promises by President Buhari and the APC.

“Nigerians are determined that Atiku Abubakar will retrieve his stolen mandate at the court and they look up to him for a transparent, honest and purposeful administration, committed to repositioning our nation, including building institutions that will engender true federalism, good governance, national cohesion and economic prosperity in our nation”, he said.

The PDP, therefore, advised President Buhari’s handlers to help him use the remaining part of this tenure to find solutions for the problems caused by his incompetent administration, instead of engaging in unnecessary acceptance shopping mechanisms for a rigged 2019 presidential election.