By Umaru Sani ,
Minna
The former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, has said that the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has committed more than enough blunder against Nigerian nation and its citizenry and so will be voted out in 2019 general elections.
Aliyu apparently speaking on the state of the nation, said that the APC government at the state and federal levels had prepared a good ground for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to takeover power in the next year’s election in all three tiers of government.
The former governor made the remarks when he granted audience to members of the Inter Community Relations Committee led by its Coordinator, Chief Olusola Ajayi, when they visited him in Minna on Sunday.
According to him, “We will change the government of the day next year. We will work harder; we will pray harder and God will answer our prayers to end the excruciating pains and economic hardship Nigerians are going through.
“Nigerians had already seen through the APC federal government, they cannot take Nigerians for a ride any more. Also in Niger State, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has not proved to the electorates why he should be re-elected.
“Even members of the governor’s party have attested to his non-performance less than a year into the end of the administration. ‘‘We also heard that people have started throwing stones at him as signs of their being fed up with the administration.”
Aliyu recalled what happened the day of his handing over to Bello: “You all remembered that I advised that they should reserve the stones for next time when some youths tried to stone me at the inauguration of the APC governor at the stadium in 2015”.
Reacting for the first time why he banned the use of commercial motorcycles, a policy which had been attributed to his failure to secure senatorial seat, Aliyu said that he had no regrets approving some policies and programmes of his administration.
“At that time if you visit the hospitals you will discover many accident victims said they were victims of these commercial motorcyclists and again, the spate of robberies involving men and escaping on motorcycles, no responsible government will allow such situation to continue”.
Aliyu further explained: “Despite the increased cases of motorcycle accidents and armed robberies, I replaced the commercial motorcycle operations with tricycles (Keke Napep) and many of these riders got the tricycle at that time as well”.
On the call by the, Community Relations Committee for him to contest either the Presidential or Senatorial election, Aliyu said, “I am still consulting, by the end of June, after the Ramadan I should be able to tell you categorically if I will contest for any position or not”.
Coordinator of the, Inter Community Relations Committee, Chief Olusola Ajayi, had criticized the APC administration for unfavourable policies against non-indigenes in the state, especially through the introduction of discriminatory payable fees in public schools.
Ajayi recalled: “The previous administration treated everyone as one by granting equal opportunities to our children, paying their WAEC and NECO registration fees irrespective of religion, tribal and political affiliations against what is obtainable today”.