By CHARLES IKE-OKOH
MON, FEBRUARY 5 2018-theG&Bjournal-The knockabout war of words to win voters’ confidence and votes in the 2019 general elections has moved a notch after the opposition party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), during National Working Committee (NWC) meeting Sunday in Asaba, Delta State, turned its guns on the state of the nation security, corruption in the management of the fuel subsidy regime, the current structure of the federation and many more other issues deemed badly handled by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
The PDP critical comments after its National Working Committee (NWC)meeting is about much more than the past 18 months national narrative of the federal government under the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari’s response to critical national issues potent enough to trigger a national conflict. While a lack of polling data makes it hard to predict the outcome of the 2019 general election, the issues raised by the PDP NWC certainly will dominate the discuss leading to the election itself. They are all on the daily discussion menu of every Nigerian- from herdsmen killings, fuel subsidy scam and fuel scarcity, restructuring of the federation, rule of law and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and of course the hugely corrupt and illegal $1 billion deductions from the Excess Crude Account by the Federal Government.
In addition, the communiqué issued reflects the sentiments of millions of Nigerians who are ”deeply” disappointed about the capacity of the APC to provide the change they promised. So, Uche Secondus, the National Chairman of the PDP and Ayo Fayose, the chairman of the PDP Governor’s Forum signed the document that offered what many theG&BJournal spoke to see as a way forward but largely a political statement that could be simply ignored by many as a propaganda.
In recent weeks, in public forums and private briefings, emphasis has been on the best way to tackle the resurgent cattle herdsmen (Fulani herdsmen) who suddenly transformed from the peaceful migrating herdsmen into violent , terrorist-like operators with an agenda to disrupt the peace of the country. President Buhari hasn’t come out ”clean” on this matter and that is what they (PDP) want him to do now.
“President Muhammadu Buhari must come clean on the herdsmen killings and address the nation on how to end the carnage” the PDP NWC said. “The President must take responsibility on the protection of lives and property of Nigerians which is the most important of his responsibility.”
The PDP leadership said the Federal Government’s decision to set up a Committee to address the issues of herdsmen killings is a pretentious approach to a matter that requires firm action and leadership by the president in line with his oath of office to protect all Nigerians, “irrespective of creed, tribe or political affiliation.
Apparently, that scenario is consequently priced into the political structure of the country by the PDP because they now strongly want to see the country restructured. And the NWC say it is directing that its members in the National Assembly immediately commence the process of initiating a Bill to address issues bothering on restructuring while claiming authorship of restructuring which it said was expressed in the 2014 report National Conference.
The corruption in the management of fuel subsidy regime are significant. Equally, the seemingly opaque approach of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to issues bordering on rule of law is rattling to the PDP hierarchy and the PDP NWC touched on them.
“We condemn corruption in the management of fuel subsidy regime which it (APC) had declared as non-existent while billions of naira are deducted monthly at Federal Allocation Committee meetings (FAAC),” the PDP NWC said.
Perhaps the most effective and nastiest statement of the meeting comes from the allusion that the federal government is unconstitutionally stealing $1 billion from the states and local government coffers. This refers to the frequent withdrawals from the Excess Crude Account (ECA)of the federation without recourse to the National Assembly.
The PDP NWC said; the PDP states and local governments oppose this. ”We want to state unequivocally that neither the governor’s forum nor the federal executive council has the power of appropriation of the Federation Account, as such powers resides with National and State Assemblies.”
Responses from a few APC members spoken to on this suggest the party is rattled and some are concerned the issues raised speak directly to the concerns of millions of Nigerians who have vented their anger openly in the social media and other forms media.
”I fear we have lost our mandate even before we took the baton. That is sad,” says one APC official in Benue State whose community has been seriously affected by the ravages of the killer herdsmen.
