The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, tackled President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, saying “Nigeria’s economy is slipping under his watch”.
Uche Secondus, national chairman of the party, who stated this in Akure, the Ondo State capital, said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government at the federal level, has also failed Nigerians.
He spoke while receiving Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi and some of his supporters into the opposition party at its Secretariat in Akure.
Secondus condemned the increasing cases of attacks, banditry and kidnapping in the country noting that the economy was in comatose.
He also berated President Buhari over his inability to curb the issue of insecurity in the last five years of his administration, arguing that he has performed woefully.
“The APC has fooled this nation for the past five years and they have even performed woefully.
“The APC under Buhari had damaged this country and destroyed the economy and there is no longer security anywhere.
“As we can see, our country is slipping and sliding under his watch, if they cannot see it, we can see it clearly,” Secondus said.
He warned that it is time for President Buhari to concentrate on the country’s economy than playing the politics of APC with the people.
While welcoming the Ondo Deputy Governor to the PDP, Secondus described his exit from the APC as an act of God which will boast the chances of the main opposition party in the state.
The PDP Chairman also noted that Ajayi’s defection is like a “tsunami” that has hit the APC-led government in the state ahead of the October 10 election.
“The deputy governor has said that he is not coming to ulter the rules or seek for any favour from our party.
“So, we know that with him and others joining the party we can reclaim Ondo State in this coming governorship election”.
He, however, added that the each of the aspirants would be giving a free level playing field to contest the party’s ticket.
“So, our coming here is not to endorse a particular aspirant but for the generality of the people,” Secondus added.
Speaking on why he left the ruling party, Mr. Ajayi said his political sojourn in APC ended because “the party has become a poisoned space.”
His words: “It is a house divided against itself and in Ondo State in particular, the party is having breathing difficulties because one man is kneeling on its neck.”
Ajayi said he chose PDP because it is a larger house, which he had helped to build and a place which is not under the chokehold of one man or a clique.
“At the moment in Ondo State, democracy and wide participation by the people have given way to unsolicited and illegitimate outsourcing of power, familitocracy, nepotism, clannishness and primitive accumulation of illegal wealth under state cover.”
He said his new party would return power to the people of Ondo State. Ajayi was, however, silent on whether he would pick the governorship election form under the party.
