Tambuwal says life in Nigeria is increasingly becoming brutish and short
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Aminu Tambuwal on Tuesday reeled off national ills under Muhammadu Buhari, listing corruption, nepotism, lies, insecurity, et cetera, and warned that Nigeria will not survive another four years of the President’s party, even after he leaves office.
What the Sokoto State Governor failed to mention, however, is that it was the failure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – to which he defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) – that led to voters electing the APC in 2015.
In fact, Tambuwal left the PDP for the APC in 2014 to become governor of Sokoto and defected back to the PDP four years later in 2018 still as governor. He served as House of Representatives Speaker from 2011 to 2015 on the platform of the PDP.
When the PDP ruled from Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 to Umar Yar’Adua (2000) to Goodluck Jonathan (2015), Nigeria was beset by all these same troubles fostered by the incompetence, lies, and cruelty of Buhari and his ministers.
The difference is that things have got worse under Buhari and the APC. But the PDP lacks integrity to argue that it is a better alternative.
Anyway, Tambuwal pitched at the PDP retreat in Abuja that “the PDP is back. PDP is ready. PDP is poised to write a new positive chapter for Nigeria. A new Nigeria.”
In his fine talk, he quoted Benjamin Franklin: “By failing to (plan) and prepare, you are preparing to fail” – to back up his claim that the PDP has put its house in order and “It is time to Rescue and Rebuild Nigeria” as the theme of the retreat says.
And he quoted Barack Obama: “Yes, we can”.
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Life in Nigeria brutish and short
Tambuwal argued that a rickety vehicle cannot take Nigeria to its destination as the nation with possibilities for greatness and progress, and the PDP is now once again a well-oiled, serviced vehicle that will midwife the Nigeria of people’s dreams.
“It is indeed time to Rescue and Rebuild Nigeria. Nigeria is in an urgent need for a surgical operation. Nigeria is in a permanent emergency.
“We all know what the problems are. They are man-made. And is therefore resolvable. It requires a focused, determined, knowledgeable and patriotic organisation of like minds to build the critical mass necessary for a great leap forward. Yes, it requires leadership, with vision and discipline.
“We suffer from a crisis of governance. The unity of Nigeria is facing unprecedented challenges. Life in Nigeria is increasingly becoming brutish and short as insecurity ravages the land.
“Poverty is the forte of the ordinary Nigerian. The health and education of our people has not improved. Our people are in want.
“The economy is in dire straits with the exchange rate now about N540 to a dollar from the N150 to a dollar when PDP left office. Prices of food stuff and essential commodities are unsustainable. Clearly beyond the reach of the average Nigerian.
“Between 35 to 40% of Nigerians are unemployed. And women and youths bear the main brunt. Bandits, kidnappers, terrorists are having a field day. Almost unchallenged. Our children are not safe even in their schools.
“Corruption still stalks the land. Nepotism, ethnic and religious bigotry reign supreme in today’s APC’s Nigeria. Our infrastructure is still comatose.
“Trust and hope in Nigeria is at its lowest. Our lamentations can go on, ad infinitum. But the test of leadership is the ability to solve problems. What solutions will PDP offer? What is the way forward?
“Well, this is why we have gathered here, to brainstorm and offer policy options for Nigeria. We cannot only criticise, we must provide workable solutions and clear policy alternatives.
“This will be presented to the Nigerian people. A sharp contrast must be drawn with the ruling incompetent and rudderless APC administration.”
PDP has learnt its lessons?
Tambuwal said the PDP has “learnt its lessons and is ready for power” in 2023 to provide hope where ineptitude currently exists.
“Where APC thrives in excuses, PDP will take responsibility. Where APC thrives in propaganda and deceit, PDP will be transparent with Nigerians. Whereas APC Government thrives in insecurity, PDP will secure Nigeria.
“Whereas APC presides over Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world, PDP will make Nigeria prosperous. APC has wrecked our economy, but PDP will salvage it.
“Where APC focuses on selective anti-corruption fight, PDP will fight corruption with appropriate institutional reforms.”
He said the retreat assembled an array of experienced experts, political party administrators, economists and other faculties to brainstorm the solutions.
Restructuring Nigeria
“Nigeria must embrace restructuring to survive. It must restructure its polity, economy, security and ways of doing things. It must embrace relative autonomy and decentralisation of power.
“This will unleash the energies of our people, especially, the young. It is time to allow Nigeria blossom. It is doable with all hands on deck,” Tambuwal pressed.
Secondly, he said, Nigeria must embrace innovation and technology as a way of life.
Technology will solve the youth unemployment time tomb, he added, and technology will improve agriculture, health, industralisation, education and indeed, it has implications and impacts on all facets of life.
“It is in this respect that we continue to condemn the twitter ban as a retrogressive action that should never have happened.
“Can Nigeria survive another four years of APC? The answer is a resounding No. It is too frightening to contemplate.
“PDP remains the only credible alternative to APC and we cannot afford to fail Nigerians. We must keep hope alive. We can do it. Yes, we can, as [Barack] Obama would say.
“The revitalised PDP shall be true to the words of our national anthem, “To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.”
