The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to immediately test its popularity among Nigerians by conducting free, fair and credible local council elections in states under its control.
The party said this on Sunday in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan.
“We all know that the APC is mortally afraid of going into any election, particularly at the grassroots, as Nigerians across board are bitter with them for their deceit and the wrecking of our once robust economy,” the statement said.
“Nigerians are also at pains over the poor welfare direction of the ruling party which has resulted in the penetrating hardship now being suffered under the APC controlled Federal Government misrule. The APC is petrified because Nigerians have renewed their interest in the PDP as the only genuine people-oriented party.”
PDP believes its victory in the Osun senatorial bye-election, as well as the recent local council polls in Ekiti and Delta states, have demonstrated the “new thinking among Nigerians” with the party.
They said the ruling party cannot go back to the same electorate after purportedly failing to fulfil its promises of jobs creation, monthly stipends, free meals, free houses, and the reduction of fuel price among others.
They also condemned the sack of more than 21,000 teachers who failed to meet the cut-off mark set by the Kaduna State government following a controversial competency test.
“The APC knows it cannot face the more than eight million Nigerians it has rendered jobless with its reckless policies. They know that judgment awaits them from thousands of workers who were unjustly sacked in the states where APC governors rule, particularly Kogi and Kaduna.
“The APC cannot also return to the states where countless helpless families’ breadwinners painfully paid the supreme price due to untold hardship under their misrule,” the statement said.
The PDP alleged that some APC governors are seeking the help of President Muhammadu Buhari to win elections in their state, saying they had forgotten that the opposition is ready to reclaim power in 2019.
According to them, Nigerians can now differentiate between a deceitful party as wells as a democratic and development-driven party.
Highlighting some of its achievement in its 16 years in power, the PDP said it led Nigeria to an economic boom, cleared huge foreign debts, repositioned the banking sector, and championed the telecoms revolution.
Other successes the party claimed it recorded include revamping the railways, building new universities, reforming the ports, facilitating unprecedented growth in small and medium enterprises, and placing the nation as a major global investment destination.
“The landslide victories of the PDP in the recent elections are, therefore, incontrovertible response by the people not only to the achievements of our government in the states but also to the ideological disposition of the PDP as one genuine democratic platform where all Nigerians are free to socially express, politically aspire and economically flourish,” the statement added.
