Main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s New Year message will be filled with ‘fake promises.’
Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, stated that the president had nothing to offer Nigerians after his promise of more hardship in 2019.
He said, “The message will be a rehash of fake promises which had been foisted on Nigerians since December 2015.”
Ologbondiyan, who is also the Director, Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, said Buhari had already admitted failure in governance.
The PDP spokesperson added that Buhari had no solutions and as such would only dwell on fictitious claims and cosmetic patriotism, in an effort to sway Nigerians and divert their attention from his perceived failures and insensitivity to their problems.
He said, “However, in case Mr. President considers the New Year message, a ritual which he must fulfil, he should use the occasion to provide answers to the allegations that he soiled his hands in the alleged corrupt acquisition of Etisalat Nigeria and Keystone Bank Plc by members of his family under the official cover of his presidency.
“No New Year message would be more apt than Mr. President explaining how his family members came about the sum of N1.032tn for this scandalous acquisition.
Ologbondiyan stated that Buhari may also wish to use the occasion to provide answers to the alleged false performance claims in his 2019 budget speech that led to him being booed by federal legislators.
He said, “Moreover, instead of harping on his discredited war against corruption, President Buhari should use his New Year message to explain the whereabouts of the over N11tn that disappeared from government coffers under his watch, including the N9tn detailed in the leaked memo at the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation, which his administration has refused to account for.
“President Buhari must not continue to play the saint when his administration has skeletons in its cupboard. He must provide answers to Nigerians.
“If not, he should not bother sending any New Year message as the nation has moved beyond mere rhetoric, blame game and false promises, which have been the hallmarks of his administration.”
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