The All Progressives Congress (APC) had in Ekiti yesterday urged voters to decimate corrupt practices by re-electing the ruling party in the forthcoming presidential election.
APC leaders at the rally, including President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Co-chairman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, governors, including Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and nonagenarian Second Republic Senator Ayo Fansanmi, among others, question the capacity of the main opposition party to rule the country.
The National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, particularly berated Atiku and his former boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, for mismanaging the nation’s economy during their tenure.
Tinubu added that Obasanjo and Atiku owe Nigerians an explanation on what happened to the Petroleum Trust Development Funds (PTDF).
It will be recalled that the PTDF was managed by the Office of the Vice President during the Obasanjo administration from 1999 – 2007.
The party leader said: “People’s Destruction Party (PDP) has come again from all the nooks and crannies to lie to you. Poverty Development Party (PDP) is here again to tell you lies.
“One who is always busy with contentious business says he is running it. What does he know? What he has propagated is their container economy.
“They want to come back and sell our commonwealth. They promised to create two million jobs for you and nobody has asked them how.
“The questions we should ask are: When they were there with Obasanjo, how many jobs did they create? How many times did Obasanjo say Atiku stole PTDF’s money? The answer he always gave was that his former boss too stole money. Is this the kind of person you want to vote for?” Tinubu asked rhetorically.
Tinubu also accused the PDP of inventing fake tariff and estimated billing.
“Their actions to share the electricity company into GenCos and DisCos caused the hike in tariff and estimated billing,” he said, adding: “What is Atiku’s response and PDP’s? He said, ‘what is wrong if I share Nigeria’s resources with my friends?’ Is that what you want them to come back to do?”
Urging the crowd to vote for Buhari, Tinubu noted the president’s effort in agricultural sector, which he said had generated over 5.8 million jobs.
Also speaking, Buhari assured the voters of taking to loftier heights.
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The President said: “We are fighting corruption but it has not been easy. But we told the security agencies to keep watch and ensure that those who have cases to answer do not escape justice.
“As part of our promises, we are building roads, rail lines, fighting corruption. We introduced the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and increased power supply, so Nigerians can have their own businesses.
“I want to be grateful to Ekiti voters because the two times I came here, I achieved success. I came here in 2014 and I also came here to campaign for Fayemi; he won the governorship election. So, I’m here today to campaign for myself. I believed you are going to give us the vote to consolidate on our laudable and people-oriented projects.”
In his contribution, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomole said: “Atiku has told us that if Nigerians mistakenly elect him, he would put Nigeria on sale. I believe Nigerians have made up their minds to return President Buhari, who they can trust, not the one whose business partners are in prison. William Jefferson, Atiku’s business partner is in prison for corruption charges.”
“The problem we have had as a nation is lack of policy consistency and coherence. So, changing government every three and half years can only lead to confusion.
“Let us sustain it so that together Nigeria can move from a consuming country of imported product to a country that virtually consume what it produces,” he added.