Goodluck Jonathan accuses APC of lying, non-performance

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration of running a government of lies and propaganda.


Jonathan spoke in Abuja yesterday while receiving one of the chairmanship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Tunde Adeniran, at his residence.

The former President insisted that the PDP, which controlled the federal government from 1999 to 2015 did well for the country but that the APC had failed the country and its people.

He said the APC administration has nothing to show as achievement.

Challenging the APC leadership to public debate on its performance, Jonathan said, “The PDP administration for 16 did well and will continue to do well. But this administration has done nothing, the administration is full lies and propaganda

“In the power sector, we did well to revive it, a certain state governor criticised our government, saying that any serious government should be able to fix the power sector within six months. But today, the APC has been in power for how many years? Fortunately, the then governor is in the APC Government as a Minister”.

The former President said that all hope was not lost, adding that the PDP would go all out and put its house in order for it to return to power in 2019.

Jonathan said that Nigerians have been able to see the difference between the PDP and the APC in terms of performance.

“With the rate at which people are coming around to associate with a party that lost elections, it shows that the people still believe in the PDP. With the number and calibre of the people coming out to vie for the seat of the national chairman and other offices of our party, it shows that our party still has another chance”, the ex- President added.

But APC Deputy National Chairman (North) Senator Lawal Shuaibu, rejected the ex-president’s comment.

Shuaibu said: “In the history of governance in this country, there is no government that deceived Nigerians like that of Goodluck Jonathan.

“I have never seen where a government was being run on the basis of speculation rather than realities like that of Goodluck Jonathan.

“I am not even talking about the PDP government. I am talking particularly about Goodluck Jonathan’s government. They were so deceptive that Nigerians actually realised their act of deception and decided not to trust them again and that was why they lost the (2015) election.”

Speaking on his expectations, Jonathan said the PDP needed “a national chairman who will rule the party democratically and carry others along. In fact, the national chairman is the leader of the party. It is not the other way round”.

He said judging by his long interaction with Prof Adeniran, coupled with testimonies of other party leaders, Adeniran possessed what it takes to lead the party at this critical point in time.

The ex-President warned the party leaders and the aspirants against turning the convention into a battle field.