Governors elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have advised President Bola Tinubu and his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) to step aside from power if they are incapable of addressing the current hardship in the country.
The call came following the federal government’s reaction to the observation earlier made by the governors that Nigeria may be headed the way of Venezuela if the downward trend was not nipped in the bud.
It will be recalled that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had blamed the main opposition party for the woes besetting the country, alleging that the PDP governors lack the moral right to criticise the Tinubu’s government, especially because they allegedly owe staff salaries.
However, in a counter reaction at the weekend, the governors through a statement by the Director General of the PDP Governors Forum (PDPGF), Cyril Maduabum, said their observation was made in their patriotic duty, and that the APC-led government should either mobilise all Nigerians for sustainable solutions or throw in the towel.
While noting that their states are comparatively better than others in the country, the PDP governors recalled that the communiqué recently issued by the Bauichi State governor, Bala Mohammed, had patriotically advised the APC-led government to embark on initiatives involving both the federal and sub-nationals in a bid to tackle the security and economic challenges facing the country.
They said the communiqué “Solemnly reiterated our earlier position for creation of State Police that avoids abuse and overreach by any tier of government, dutifully called on the Monetary and Fiscal Authorities of the Federation as the lead agents in a Federal structure to collaboratively find appropriate solutions.
“In the question and answer session, the chairman of the forum warned that if urgent steps are not taken, the Venezuela situation would be child’s play in Nigeria. The above suggestions and advice were given as contributions by patriotic group of governors as partakers in governance.”
The PDP governors, however, commended President Tinubu for heeding the advice and “immediately attending the special meeting convened meeting on 15th February 2024, where some of these issues were tabled for discussion between the federal and state governments.”
However, the PDP governors maintained that the resolutions of the meeting should be followed through.
They added: “It must be noted that even though Nigeria is a federation, there is indeed only one economy.
“Hardship and suffering being faced by Nigerians have no tribal, religious or party colouration. A hungry man is an angry man.
“While all tiers of government have a role to play, the APC led Federal Government has a disproportionate role to play in mobilising Nigerians and all organs and tiers of government for sustainable solutions. If it cannot do so or is unable to do so, it should graciously throw in the towel.
“Attempts by the Honourable Minister of Information, APC Governors’ Forum and other officials of the Federal Government, who criticised the PDP Governors’ Forum for their patriotic intervention should be guided by the fact that the APC sought power to solve the problems of Nigeria not to compound them or shift blame, or grandstand or use propaganda to obfuscate or confuse issues.
“PDP governed states are comparatively the best in Nigeria in terms of developmental policies, programmes, and projects that benefit their States positively, regular payment of salaries, pensions, gratuities, and minimum wage to their workforce. State governments that are delinquent on these issues are not of PDP extraction.
“It is false to say so. Even the food crises are exacerbated by insecurity and high exchange rate issues, among others, which are largely federal subjects.”
The PDP governors reiterated that as stakeholders in governance, they would continue to work collaboratively with the president to find lasting solutions to “a very difficult situation created or exacerbated by the APC since 2015.”
They further affirmed their belief in co-operative Federalism, noting that: “The buck ultimately stops at Mr President’s table as the Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria, the president and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation, the chief salesman and leader of Nigeria.
“We are not in doubt that he is trying his best. We only hope and pray that his best is good enough to take Nigeria out of the woods in the shortest possible time,” the governors added.