The war of words and blame trading between Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over the escalating inflation, high cost of living and the attendant hardship in the country.
Following a statement by the PDP Governors’ Forum on Saturday in which they called on President Bola Tinubu to resign over the state of the nation if he could not provide sustainable solutions, the government, in a response on Sunday, fired back at the PDP, saying the opposition party has no right to tell Tinubu to resign.
The clap-back statement which came from the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, queried the PDP on why failed to turn the country around during its extended shot at power.
Describing the call by the PDP governor’s for Tinubu to resign as a distraction, the Minister accused the opposition of stoking the ember of hatred against the Tinubu-led administration.
“It is our considered view that the PDP and its governors should not be seeking, through the back door of intimidation, what they have consistently failed to achieve by democratic means, since 2015,” the statement said.
“Those who could not bring transformational change when they had a lengthy chance to, should not seek to interrupt or distract those who are busy at work on the presidential vision that Nigerians elected them to implement.
“The administration of President Bola Tinubu has, since inception, generously extended financial support to all the state governments, regardless of partisan affiliation. In addition, the removal of the petrol subsidy which, incidentally, was one of the main planks of the PDP presidential campaign, has swelled the revenues of all states, including the PDP states. To whom more has been given, more is therefore expected.
“The President and his administration recognise the unfinished business of revamping our national economy kick started by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, through programmes focused on large-scale infrastructure, social welfare, prioritising the equipping and welfare of the military and security agencies, and reclaiming Nigeria’s strategic place in the comity of nations.
“Boko Haram and its affiliates, on the ascendancy in 2014/2015, have since been decimated, and similar bold gains are now being made with bandits and other criminals.
“Nigerians have not forgotten that it was the APC administration that cleared several liabilities left behind by the PDP government, such as subsidy claims by oil marketers, Paris Club refunds, unpaid pensions, gratuities, and salary arrears owed various categories of pensioners from liquidated and existing state-owned enterprises.
“Tinubu would never be overwhelmed by the current challenges facing the country. He will not abdicate his responsibilities. He will courageously continue to wrestle with the challenges and surmount them, laying a durable foundation for the new Nigeria that is emerging,” Idris said.