The Federal Government, on Sunday, issued a response to the governors elected under the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), criticizing them for urging President Bola Tinubu to step down from his position if he lacks solutions to the country’s numerous challenges.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, raised questions regarding the PDP’s inability to effect significant change during its prolonged tenure in power. He characterized the PDP governors’ call for resignation as a diversionary tactic.
Led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, the PDP governors had previously remarked that Nigeria, under Tinubu’s leadership, risked mirroring the situation in Venezuela.
In response, on Sunday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, through a statement released by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim, criticized the PDP governors’ stance.
He said, “It is our considered view that the PDP and its governors should not be seeking, through the back door of intimidation, what they have consistently failed to achieve by democratic means, since 2015.
“Those who could not bring transformational change when they had a lengthy chance to, should not seek to interrupt or distract those who are busy at work on the presidential vision that Nigerians elected them to implement.”
Explaining what the present administration was currently working on, the minister explained, “The administration of President Bola Tinubu has, since inception, generously extended financial support to all the state governments, regardless of partisan affiliation. In addition, the removal of the petrol subsidy —which, incidentally, was one of the main planks of the PDP presidential campaign—has swelled the revenues of all states, including the PDP states. To whom more has been given, more is therefore expected.
“The President and his administration recognise the unfinished business of revamping our national economy kickstarted by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, through programmes focused on large-scale infrastructure, social welfare, prioritising the equipping and welfare of the military and security agencies, and reclaiming Nigeria’s strategic place in the comity of nations.
“Boko Haram and its affiliates, on the ascendancy in 2014/2015, have since been decimated, and similar bold gains are now being made with bandits and other criminals.
“Nigerians have not forgotten that it was the APC administration that cleared several liabilities left behind by the PDP government, such as subsidy claims by oil marketers, Paris Club refunds, unpaid pensions, gratuities, and salary arrears owed various categories of pensioners from liquidated and existing state-owned enterprises.”
Idris said Tinubu would never be overwhelmed by the current challenges facing the country.
“He will not abdicate his responsibilities. He will courageously continue to wrestle with the challenges and surmount them, laying a durable foundation for the new Nigeria that is emerging,” the minister.