PDP predicts harder times as APC promises more dividends

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) had laid landmines that might explode and around the country in 2020.

Its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, while warning Nigerians to brace up for harder times, claimed that virtually all arms of government had allegedly been pocketed by the presidency.

This comes as the ruling party assured Nigerians that the “ongoing massive infrastructure development covering the rail, road, agriculture, aviation, port, education, and health sectors would be given a further fillip.”

But the PDP in a statement yesterday in Abuja said: “with the huge loan demands passing through the National Assembly without scrutiny coupled with the accompanying high taxation bills from the executive, 2020 portends further hard times for Nigerians.”

According to the opposition leader, “2020 is going to be tough with the high level of corruption already rated by experts to be worse under this administration as they continue to look away to reported cases of fraud involving high profile members of the regime.”

The statement continued: “Added to this is the ineptitude that has engulfed the oil sector and various agencies of government as square pegs are put in round holes at the expense of merit. “

In the New year message to Nigerians, Secondus stated that the “rape done to democracy in 2019 during the February and March general elections set the nation’s democratic journey many years backward and laid the foundation for a wobbling 2020 politically and economically.”

He appealed to all critical stakeholders to be vigilant and hold current administration accountable in the new year.

However, the APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, promised that the Buhari government would not relent in its efforts to address the social, economic and security challenges in the country.

The party referred to successes recorded in plugging revenue leakages, checking violent extremism, oil sector reforms, anti-corruption, economic diversification, curbing of waste and infrastructure development as a testament of its commitment to the president’s campaign promises.

APC assured the citizens of the faithful execution of policies and programmes of the current administration on a higher tempo.