APC Replies Obasanjo, Says His Tenure Promoted Impunity, Corruption, Rot In Nigeria

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday, tackled former President Olusegun Obasanjo in an apparent reply to his recent criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The APC said it was “baffling that the same political actors that midwifed and institutionalised the national rot, corruption, impunity and eroding of our value systems are the same characters posing as voices on the way forward in our national life.”

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Obasanjo had last Friday, took a swipe at Buhari over what he called “mismanagement of diversity and socio-economic development of Nigeria.”

He added that the country was fast drifting to a failed state under Buhari.

The ex-President spoke at an interactive session with some socio-cultural groups in Abuja.

He had said: “Today, Nigeria is fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state, economically our country is becoming a basket case and poverty capital of the world, and socially, we are firming up as an unwholesome and insecure country.

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“And these manifestations are the products of recent mismanagement of diversity and socio-economic development of our country.”

But, the APC, in a statement issued by its Spokesman, Yekini Nabena, rather called on the former President to give an account of his stewardship in the power sector.

Nabena also asked Obasanjo’s former deputy, Atiku Abubakar, to as well account for the privatisation exercise under his watch.

He said: “Former President Olusegun Obasanjo could start with telling us where the electricity is despite $16billion he spent on the power sector.

“Obasanjo’s deputy, Alh. Atiku Abubakar should account for the privatisation exercise under his watch which saw national assets sold off to friends and cronies with no benefit to the country. Successive Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administrations can also start by accounting for the trillions stolen from our national coffers in the guise of a fraudulent fuel subsidy regime.”

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He added that the current administration was matching its talks with actions “with verifiable projects and people-centred interventions that are uplifting Nigerians.”

The APC spokesman argued that Nigerians had long stopped taking  Obasanjo and his likes seriously as they lacked the antecedents and moral credentials to guide the country to the path of prosperity and progress.

He further argued that under the current administration, votes now counted as against the “do or die” approach of “Obasanjo and the PDP”  during elections.

He listed what he referred to as achievements of the Buhari’s presidency.

He said: “Their abandoned projects which constituted drainpipes on national resources are being completed by this administration. The brazen culture of impunity and corruption which they institutionalised is being replaced by strong and accountable systems. The culture of roundtripping and the rested subsidy regime in the petroleum sector has been replaced by a deregulated and accountable petroleum pricing template. Instead of plotting how to sell of national assets, particularly the NNPC to friends, this administration is reforming public sector operations to ensure optimised service delivery.

“We are gradually eating what we grow. Our national emergency health response has earned global accolades and recognition as displayed by our COVID-19 response. Our defence capacity to respond and contain emerging security challenges is now tested and proven. How did Nigeria achieve this? A strong, people-centred and focused leadership which the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration provides.

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“Genuine patriots, reputable groups and organizations who are making honest contributions on the deregulation of electricity and petrol prices already see the decision as inevitable and the way to go.

“As it stands, Nigeria will save as much as one trillion naira ($2.6 billion) following the deregulation of the petroleum sector, the Petroleum Minister of State Timipre Sylva has stated.”

According to him, the Nigerian people believe that the freed up cash will be accounted for and invested to develop other critical areas such as infrastructure, health care, education among others.

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