Kabiru Turaki, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says Nigerians are “yearning” for the opposition party to regain power in 2027.
Speaking in Abuja on
Tuesday during a meeting with former governors and ministers who are members of
the party, Turaki described the 16 years of the PDP in power between 1999 and
2015 as a “glorious” era.
“Beyond taking this party back to Nigerians who are the
owners, we need to have a critical interface with those men and women whose
work, sacrifice, and selfless service to the fatherland were responsible for
distinguishing PDP as the first party that won election back-to-back, four
times in Nigeria,” Turaki said.
“The PDP became the first political party to build this
country and is the only party Nigerians are yearning to have back in the saddle
as far as governance in this country is concerned.”
Turaki said the PDP must do things differently to reclaim
power at the national and sub-national levels.
He said during the PDP reign, the country witnessed
“phenomenal” progress in policies and projects that positively impacted the
lives of Nigerians.
“And that is why today, even after we left office 10 years
ago, our legacies in the states and indeed at the centre are standing tall for
everybody to see,” he said.
“And that is why, despite the great efforts that have been
made to malign the PDP and discredit the work we had done, Nigerians have
remained consistently nostalgic about the bond and relationship that we built
with them over those glorious 16 years.
“It is on record that PDP grew the Nigerian economy. We
pulled this country out of debt burden. We were able to build infrastructure.
“We built strong institutions that today have strengthened
what governments at various levels are doing, be it in terms of project
execution or monitoring, the war against corruption, and so many areas.”
Speaking on behalf of the ex-PDP governors, Babangida Aliyu,
former governor of Niger state, accused the federal government of weaponising
state institutions to silence opposition leaders.
“The relentless poaching of opposition figures and the
weaponisation of state institutions to intimidate dissenting voices are clear
indicators that Nigeria is sliding dangerously into a one-party state,” he
said.
“This is not just a threat to the PDP but a direct assault
on the hard-won democratic freedoms of every Nigerian citizen.”
Ibrahim Shekarau, former governor of Kano, who represented
ex-ministers who served during the PDP years in power, advised party members to
be committed to unity and nation-building.
“I look around this room, and I see the architects of modern
Nigeria. Do not let the noise distract you, and do not relent because you have
done more than expected,” Shekarau said.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com