Politics

APC, PDP, LP Chieftains In Heated Debate Over Nigeria’s Economic Woes

Published

3 years ago

December 7, 2022

Tanko Yunusa, Niyi Akinsiju and Ilemona Onoja on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on December 7, 2022

Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) were engaged in a heated debate on Nigeria’s crippling economy and dwindling fortunes on Wednesday.

LP’s spokesman Tanko Yunusa, Niyi Akinsiju of the APC and Ilemona Onoja of the PDP clashed on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

Akinsiju said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in May 2015 inherited debt from the PDP government of 16 years but the APC government has been able to deliver despite fall in the price per barrel of crude oil.

On the other hand, Onoja said the PDP handed over an economically stable country to the APC than it inherited from the military but the APC has bastardised the Nigerian economy.

However, Yunusa concluded that the PDP’s failure gave the APC a chance in 2015, adding disappointingly that the APC has doubled the mismanagement of the country in the last seven and a half years since it has been in government.

Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 after years of military rule, the PDP has produced three Presidents (Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan) for a cumulative period of 16 years. The APC took over in May 2015 with the election of Buhari, a former military head of state.

‘PDP Left A Hollow Economy’
Akinsiju, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, insisted that the Buhari government has not done badly, noting that Tinubu and his running mate will consolidate on the economic gains of the present administration if they win the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

According to him, PDP left a hollow economy when Buhari came into power in May 2015 but the incumbent has managed to stabilise the economy.

“When this party (APC) came into government, the PDP left a hollow economy, a hollow government and because we have a Buhari in place, we stabilise the economy.

“We are at 21.09% inflation and we met 9.6% but there was no COVID-19 pandemic in 2005 August when we recorded the highest possible inflation rate in this country – 28.21%…And we are talking at a time when the price of crude oil per barrel was moving up. In 1999, it was $19/barrel. By 2005, it had moved up to more than $60/barrel.

“We are managers of an economy that is impacted by global headwinds and there is little we can do than to adapt and deploy our own creativity and we have been able to do that since 2015 when we inherited $63bn debt from the PDP government. Today, we are talking about $102bn debt all put together. Please, subtract $63bn from that debt,” he said.

This combination photo shows the Presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi (L); All Progressives Congress, Mr Bola Tinubu (C); and Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Atiku Abubakar (R).

APC, A Monumental Failure – Atiku’s Man

Onoja, a member of the Presidential Campaign Council for Atiku Abubakar and Ifeanyi Okowa, however, disagreed with Akinsiju, saying the APC has been a party of sorrow, pain and confusion marred by maladministration and bad governance.

He also faulted the cash withdrawal limits of the APC government amid the implementation of a currency change, saying the policy is doomed to fail, lead to job loss and throw several millions of people into poverty.

“In 1999, Nigeria’s GDP growth was 0.9%. 2000 – 5%. 2002 – 15.3%. This economy grew under Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as chairman of the National Economic Council. For the APC for seven and a half years, we are talking 3% growth that your population growth outstrips. How? In their (APC’s) private moment, the failure that keeps them up at night is so monumental.

“The PDP handed over to the APC a much better country than it inherited from the military. And what has the APC done to that country? It has bastardised it, ripped it to shreds, taken food out of the mouth of our children, taken education from our youths, has taken safety and security from our parents, and has taken healthcare from all of us,” he said.

APC, PDP Are Siamese Twins – Obi’s Ally

On his part, Yunusa, the chief spokesman for the 2023 campaign of LP’s Peter Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, said both the PDP and the APC are Siamese twins when it comes to economic failure and maladministration.

“If the PDP has done so well during its eight years, the APC won’t have come to defeat it. It is because of the mismanagement of resources that we have that time. The APC has come up and doubled the mismanagement.

“The National Bureau of Statistics said 133 million Nigerians are in abject poverty, how else can you describe a failure of a government? Both of them left debt for Nigeria but in Obi’s case, he left N75bn in Anambra after leaving office,” he said.

Atiku, a former Vice-President; Obi, a former Anambra State governor; and Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State are frontline candidates for the 2023 presidential election which has been described by analysts as a three-horse race.

Channels Television

Politics

2027: Jonathan May Get Automatic Ticket, If… – PDP

Published

9 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is reportedly considering offering former President Goodluck Jonathan an automatic ticket to contest the 2027 presidential election, if he returns to the party and plays a more active political role.

This was revealed by Daniel Woyengikuro, the PDP’s National Financial Secretary, during an exclusive interview in Abuja. Woyengikuro emphasized Jonathan’s continued influence within the party and the nation’s politics, describing him as the PDP’s national leader.

“Is he not the best candidate for us at this moment? He is not just a former president; he is the leader of the party now. Aside from [former President Olusegun] Obasanjo, the next person in line is him. Goodluck Jonathan is the national leader of this party,” Woyengikuro said.

He confirmed that the PDP has been consulting with Jonathan and his associates, aiming to bring him back into the party’s mainstream leadership as part of a larger strategy to reposition the party and address Nigeria’s growing political and economic challenges.

“Nigeria has reached a point where we need to salvage this country — for our generation and for those to come,” Woyengikuro added. “When we talk about the Southern Presidency, someone like Goodluck Jonathan stands out.”

When asked directly if the party would consider granting Jonathan an automatic ticket, Woyengikuro responded emphatically:

“For me, that’s what I firmly stand for. You can quote me anywhere — I want him to come. An automatic ticket for him, as it stands now. Because we must salvage both this party and the nation.”

He further asserted that Jonathan’s return would significantly reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.

Woyengikuro also praised Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, calling him a “vibrant leader” and a strong candidate from the South capable of bridging Nigeria’s generational divide.

“These are the two main individuals I stand for: Goodluck Jonathan and Seyi Makinde,” he concluded.

The PDP is expected to intensify its internal consultations in the coming months as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Politics

PDP Announces National Convention Zoning Committee Inauguration Date

Published

9 hours ago

August 7, 2025

Editor

The People’s Democratic Party, on Wednesday, announced that the inauguration of its National Convention Zoning Committee will take place on Thursday, August 14, 2025, as part of preparations for its 2025 Elective National Convention.

The party invites key stakeholders to a significant event aimed at shaping the party’s future leadership structure.

This is contained in a press release by PDP’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, on the party’s official X account.

The inauguration is scheduled to start at 12:00 pm WAT at the NEC Hall, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

The event will bring together PDP governors, members of the Board of Trustees, the National Working Committee, the National Executive Council, serving and former National Assembly members, as well as other key stakeholders.

“This is to formally inform and invite all our governors, BOT, NWC, NEC, serving and former NASS members, and all our stakeholders to the inauguration of the National Convention Zoning Committee (NCZC) of our great party,” the statement read.

Politics

Oyo By-election: APC Unveils Campaign Council

Published

11 hours ago

August 6, 2025

Editor

The All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, on Wednesday, inaugurated its campaign council for the August 16 Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election, charging members to ensure a resounding victory for the party’s candidate.

The PUNCH reports that a two-term member of the House of Representatives representing the constituency, Musiliudeen Akinremi, popularly known as Jagaban, died in July 2024.

The state APC chairman, Olayide Abas, gave this advice while addressing party leaders, stakeholders and supporters during the inauguration ceremony, held at the party’s Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, the state capital.

Abas, who expressed sadness over the sudden demise of the late Akinremi, described him as a friend of the masses who delivered beyond expectations before his untimely passing last year.

He recalled that only representatives from Alliance for Democracy, Action Congress of Nigeria and APC had made the constituency proud since 1999, warning against returning control to individuals he described as hawks and impostors.

Abas commended all aspirants from the constituency for their contributions to democracy and the APC, urging unity among stakeholders to ensure collective success in the forthcoming poll.

“Reps member Akin Alabi (APC- Egbeda/Ona-Ara) as Director-General of the Campaign Council, is mandated to mobilise support for the party’s candidate, Adewale Olatunji (Murphy).

“The newly inaugurated council comprises eminent party stalwarts, seasoned politicians, and dynamic administrators,” he said.

In his remarks, the Deputy Director-General of the campaign council, Gaphar Ojetola, commended members for their dedication and unity, pledging unflinching support to ensure the party secures an overwhelming victory in the election.

Ojetola assured stakeholders that the campaign council would give its best by working tirelessly with all party structures, mobilising grassroots support, and ensuring the electorate clearly understands and embraces the party’s progressive agenda.

Speaking on behalf of other aspirants, Monsuru Adeyemo appreciated the inclusiveness of the campaign process, noting that unity of purpose among members remained a critical factor in securing resounding electoral success across the constituency.