2019: Buhari's second term will further divide, impoverish Nigerians

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s quest for re-election, if permitted by Nigerians, will further divide and impoverish Nigerians.

The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, described the president’s first term as “horrible”.

The president, speaking at the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward congress in Daura, Katsina State on Saturday, had said his re-run is for the people.

The president, who was long expected to make his intention towards the 2019 election known, revealed to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party sometime in April that he will re contest.

The opposition party believes his second term agenda is directly a quest to continue to enrich the presidency cabal, promote nepotism and corrupt members of the party.

According to the statement, Mr Buhari’s first term score card showed anti-people policies and failure to serve the good of the ordinary citizens, contrary to what he would want Nigerians to believe.

“President Buhari’s second term agenda is directly a quest to continue to enrich the Presidency cabal, promote nepotism and protect cronies and corrupt members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the long arms of the law.

“President Buhari’s second term is also a quest to continue to ignore and destroy democratic principles; to continue trampling on the rights of citizens and persecution of opposition and perceived political opponents; to continue the derailing of democracy with manifest disdain for constitutional order; to continue with the intimidation and harassment of the legislature and the judiciary; perpetuation of mediocrity in governance; de-marketing Nigeria at international fora and to blame everyone else but himself for manifest incapacity to govern.”

The PDP said it believes Nigerians, being direct victims of his misrule, are aware that the “harsh” and “reckless” policies of his administration, coupled with his body language, are expressly responsible for the untold economic hardship, ethnic division and daily blood-letting currently ravaging the nation.

“Nigerians know that the agenda is being pushed by members of the presidency cabal, who are desperate to protect huge economic empires and to cover their atrocities in government.

“Nigerians do not need clairvoyants and psychics to know that another term for the president will lead to decimation of the middle class, over-taxation of the poor, the complete erosion of freedom and secret fight against free enterprise.

“It will surely lead to the complete destruction of our economy, our democracy and most importantly, the unity of our nation.

The party therefore challenged the president to show any of his 2015 campaign promises that has been fufilled.

“If, indeed, the president was out to serve, as he claimed at the APC congress, we challenge him to show any of his 2015 campaign promises he has fulfilled or any development project initiated and implemented to the benefit of the people in the last three years.”