The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, PDPPCC, has tackled the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, over his comment that the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, copied President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic blueprint as his policy document.
But in a quick response, the PDPPCC in a statement chided Mohammed for flaunting failed policies that are not worth talking about let alone copying.
It accused the Minister of standing truth on its head as Atiku has long been prepared, thus his economic blueprint, which he unveiled more than a week ago in a function in Lagos.
Atiku had earlier unveiled his economic blueprint before the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, where he promised to include and work with the private sector to create a robust economy, and incentivise the power sector through devolution of powers by constitutionally removing it from the exclusive list.
While noting that Buhari has achieved all of those, Mohammed accused Atiku of lifting the blueprint which is already in operation.
But the PDPPCC said, “While the minister was making a barren attempt to catalogue perceived achievements of the current APC administration, he did the unbelievable by claiming that the policy documents and proposals espoused by Atiku Abubakar, our presidential candidate, are the version of the economic blueprint of the APC.
“That is a tsunami of a lie! To begin with, it has been openly acknowledged that this current administration came into power without a single sheet of paper of what could be called a policy document.
“Nigerians are aware that in both 2015 and 2019, it took the APC six months and three months, respectively to constitute a cabinet,” the statement said.
The Council added that perhaps the Minister might be “interested in telling Nigerians if it is also part of the APC manifesto to foot drag in forming a government.
“It is on record that the first economic recession that the country experienced in 2016, which happens to be our worst economic decline in thirty years, happened primarily because the APC administration applied what can be called a catch-up strategy to the early signals of the recession.
“That is why till this day, Nigerians are more agreeable to the fact that the tenure of the APC has been nothing but a sheer waste of time, all thanks to the catch-up economic strategy of the ruling party that has left the people more malnourished, sick and disillusioned.”
While accusing the APC-led government of corruption, the PDP presidential council pointed out that, “Nigerians of all hues, both the rich and those that are not; the educated and those who are not; the elderly and the young are all witnesses to the scandal that the APC has become in the art of governance.
“Nigerians are rallied in their frustration in the APC and the promise of a better future that our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar holds for the country after his victory in the 2023 presidential election.”
The statement further said that what Mohammed reeled out as achievements of the APC is a compilation of the reasons why Nigerians have roundly rejected the ruling party.
“It’s nothing but a testimonial of failures. Conversely, what His Excellency Atiku Abubakar presented to the organised private sector in Lagos State last week represents the hopes of a new beginning, which Nigerians eagerly anticipate.”
It laughed at the association made by the minister, saying it’s comical to link the PDP with the failed APC calling the minister and the APC to apologize to Nigerians for trying to stand truth on its head.