Jonathan has abandoned Nigerians, says APC

Odigie-Oyegun

All Progressives Congress(APC) Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday said President Goodluck Jonathan has abandoned Nigerians and cannot lay claim to a re-election ticket.

He dismissed Jonathan’s speech at Tuesday’s  declaration as empty and full of voodoo statistics.

He asked Nigerians not to give PDP which had savaged the nation for 15 years another opportunity to “finish off” Nigeria.

He said if given the chance, APC will rebuild Nigeria and reclaim all seized territories from Boko Haram insurgents.

Oyegun, who made the submissions on the state of the nation at a briefing in Abuja, said the APC will make history in the next few months by defeating the ruling party.

He insisted that APC will conduct the affairs of the nation “differently and better than the PDP.”

He listed the party’s priorities as follows:Uniting Nigerians; openness and transparency; upholding the Rule of Law; defence of the territorial integrity of the nation:motivate and  equip the Armed Forces; true federalism; to rebuild and expand infrastructure; investment in human capital among others.

He said: “The 2015 election will be decided on the character and leadership qualities of the Nigerian President. The Commander-in-Chief should also be “Consoler-in-Chief” bringing comfort and succor to our people in time of grief and distress.

“You heard two days ago President Jonathan saying that good leaders do not walk away from the people, sadly though the statement is true, our President who wants another four years does not show evidence of sympathy for hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens who are now Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of the occupation of their land by Boko Haram.

“He brings no relief or comfort to those living under the reign of terror. About 50 young Nigerian School Children were killed and several others injured in Potiskum just a few days before the extravaganza show of his declaration.

“Yet we do not hear of a Presidential visit to the families of the victims, a pattern that has become usual. Our President lives in his comfort zone, content to utter words, and ‘minutes of silence’ that have no meaning to the victims.

 ”The President has abandoned the Nigerian people. We should end the journey with President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and elect a leader who will be part of our lives and lead with courage and empathy.”

Oyegun also said Jonathan has nothing new to offer since he could not fix the epileptic power sector and address the insecurity nationwide.

He said the President’s declaration speech was full of voodoo statistics and excuses for failure.

He added: “ Two days ago, you heard President Goodluck Jonathan announce himself as the candidate of the PDP and asked Nigerians for another four years as President. You heard a lot of claims, misrepresentations and voodoo statistics, none of which can stand the barest scrutiny. Disregard them!

“You heard excuses for failure to fix basic infrastructure, arrest unprecedented levels of corruption and halt the march of terrorists daily inching nearer all of us. You heard promises that sound familiar because you have heard them all before since his six (6) years as President.

“Do not give the party that has savaged Nigeria in the last 16 years an opportunity to finally finish off our dear nation. The PDP cannot deliver on any of the same promises it has failed to honour in over a decade and a half in power.”

The APC National Chiarman assured that  the party will do things differently if elected into power in 2015.

He said the party was aware that the battle to dislodge PDP from power will be tough but it is relying on the votes of Nigerians who are already frustrated with Jonathan’s administration.

He said: “In a few months, our great party will make history. It will defeat an incumbent administration at the federal level, and secure most of the governorships and federal and state legislatures.

“It will then proceed to change the way our nation is governed, by restoring the valued requirements of governance, which are rooted in supremacy of the law, integrity and competence of leaders, and compassion and fairness in the treatment of the people.

 ” Our party stands united and confident in its ability to lead Nigeria to a new beginning. I call on all Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora to embrace our vision of a great nation that works for all of its citizens; a nation that guarantees security for all its people; and a nation able to generate and allocate its resources in the just and equitable manner intended by God who so graciously blessed us with so much.

 ”We are under no illusions about the magnitude of the task our party will be called to embark upon. It will be a massive challenge. But we draw strength and inspiration from the knowledge that the overwhelming majority of Nigerians recognize that a continuing PDP administration cannot guarantee Nigerians a future of prosperity, dignity and peace.

“We, in the APC, are in touch with the sentiments, aspirations and concerns of our people. To those who are now living and dying in occupied parts of our nation; to those who are displaced and living in refugee camps because their homeland is occupied by terrorists, to those who are in fear of the imminent occupation of their homeland by savage elements, we say help is on the way and positive change is near.

 ”Our party will chart a new course of recovery and regeneration for our nation. We will set very high standards of respect for the rule of law, such that our nation will never again experience the unprecedented scale of impunity that has been the central feature of this PDP led administration.”

Oyegun, who pledged to make the briefing regular, pleaded with Nigerians to give APC the opportunity to effect changes in the country from 2015.

He said: “To all Nigerians, I say, our party, the APC, will change Nigeria for good. We have the men and women who can do this because they passionately believe in Nigeria and are aggrieved by the 16 years of wasted opportunities under the PDP. “We have developed the ideas and strategies to achieve this. We have the faith and confidence that this can be done in short order.

“We are resolved never to give up on Nigeria, or to abandon the imperatives of ensuring that the democratic process translates into better lives and opportunities for the present generation and a solid foundation to build an even better life for future generations.

“The only people who will fear, or resist, the type of change we represent and promise, are the tiny blood sucking minority who benefit from Nigeria’s current social and economic degradation.

“It is with a sense of deep patriotism that we in the APC appeal to Nigerians to join us, because we need to work together to make Nigeria the great country it should be.

“I want to call on all Nigerians to work with us, support us and vote for our candidates in the forthcoming elections. APC governments at all levels will be your governments, and we assure you that you will feel the difference in the very first few months of our administration at all levels.

 ”We assure our brother African nations who agonize over the decline in Nigeria’s leadership that our nation will rise again and give Africa the exemplary leadership it deserves. We assure the International Community particularly, our friends, that the APC treasures their friendship and treasures their concern for our nation.

“ We assure them all that we will rebuild our capacities to operate at the global level as a responsible and responsive pillar of global governance, a beacon of hope for all mankind.”

While advising Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voters Cards, Oyegun asked the international community to be vigilant on 2015 poll.

He said APC is determined to respect the integrity of the electoral process.

He said: “I therefore appeal to all Nigerians to endeavour to collect their Permanent Voters Cards, and use them to vote out the PDP and vote in the brighter, safer and more prosperous future, which the APC represents. I call on INEC, the security agencies and other institutions of government to discharge their responsibilities courageously, fairly and firmly. Their prime responsibility is to the nation.

“I appeal to the international community to remain vigilant and continue to work with all Nigerians to ensure that the 2015 elections are credible. On our part, we remain committed to respecting the integrity of the electoral process, and we will discourage its subversion and will resist vigorously the use of violence, official or otherwise, to prevent the triumph of the will of the people.”

 Oyegun gave insights into what the APC will offer the nation although the details will soon be unfolded to Nigerians.

He said: “Once in office, our party will govern with openness and transparency, and every kobo belonging to the public will be judiciously utilized and meticulously accounted for. We will call corruption by its name and fight it with the vehemence it deserves. We will restore the faith of the public in the necessity for leaders to live honestly and lead with vision, competence and compassion.

  ”An APC Federal administration will unite all Nigerians by eliminating policies and sentiments such as religion and ethnicity which the PDP has deliberately exploited to divide the nation. We will restore the faith and confidence of Nigerians in each other, and ensure that no Nigerian anywhere suffers any disadvantage on account of his or her religious affiliation or ethnic origin. We will uphold the rule of law and protect the human rights of all our citizens.

 ”The defense of the territorial integrity of our fatherland and the protection of the lives and property of all who live within our borders shall be a non-negotiable priority of an APC Federal Government.

“We will reclaim every inch of Nigerian territory, and liberate fellow citizens who, under the current dispensation, are resigned to life as captured and conquered citizens.

“Our armed forces will be massively motivated and given the necessary manpower and materials to enable them perform their sacred duty of protecting our country. Our people will be mobilized to support and honour our men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line to ensure that we are all protected.”

The APC chairman condemned the Nigeria Police and the Department of the State Security Service for withdrawing the security details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.

He also faulted the recent release to Capital Oil Ltd all its assets hitherto lawfully acquired by AMCON because the proprietor of the company is one of the coordinators of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria(TAN) which is at the forefront of Jonathan’s reelection campaign.

He said:”We will ask Nigerians to vote for genuine and enduring change; change in the manner young Nigerians see their future; change in the attitude of leaders, from oppressive and arrogant leadership, to leadership anchored on respect for rule of law, fear of God and deep commitment to the service of the people; and change from a life of insecurity and daily threats to our lives and property to a life of maximum security and peace.

 “We see this impunity on display in the administration’s tyrannical reaction to the exercise of the right of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to change his party.

“The Police arrogated to itself the power of the judiciary to interpret the Constitution and withdrew the security details of the Speaker. The illegal and high-handed action by the Police in removing the security details of a sitting Speaker of the House of Representatives has attracted strong and widespread condemnation from within and outside Nigeria.

“The Department of Security Services, a service which was hitherto insulated from partisan politics have also been directed and has similarly withdrawn its operatives from the Speaker.

 ”We see another manifestation of the PDP administration’s fondness for impunity and its disturbing tendency to cuddle corruption, in the recent release to Capital Oil Ltd all its assets hitherto lawfully acquired by AMCON as a result of its said involvement in the fuel subsidy scam.

“It is not a secret that the proprietor of Capital Oil is the coordinator or convener of the widely derided Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) that is at the forefront of the obscene and doomed campaign for the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan. A great nation like Nigeria should not be run with such crass disdain for decency, common sense and the rule of law.”

Party leaders at the session were the Deputy National Chairman( North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu; the Deputy National Chairman (South), Engr. Segun Oni; the National Secretary of APC, Mai Mala Buni; the National Publicity Secretary, Alh. Lai Mohammed; National Treasurer, Alh. Bala Mohammed Gwagwawa; the National Vice Chairman(South-South), Prince Hilliard Etagbo Eta.