Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, Secretary, APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC)

The All Progressives Congress (APC) said it will not be distracted from its focus of delivering its campaign promises to Nigerians in spite of the numerous challenges.

This is contained in a statement by Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, Secretary of APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) on Tuesday in Abuja.

Akpanudoedehe was reacting a statement credited to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Nigerians wanted it back in government.

He described the statement as laughable.

“The APC has noted yet with concern the tales and ramblings by PDP issued as a statement, which to all discerning members of the public is full of sounds and fury, signifying nothing.

“It is our belief that Nigerians should be spared the trauma of a reminder of the disaster of PDP’s 16 years of misadventure in government.

“The PDP should allow Nigerians to forgive it for the numerous transgressions and agony it put them through many years of misrule which the national chairman publicly apologised to Nigerians.

“We would ordinarily have allowed PDP to wallow in its usual illusion, since its descent from power in 2015,” Akpanudoedehe said.

He said that the APC was, however, constrained to set records straight because issues raised by PDP bordered on collective sensibilities of Nigerians.

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He said that Nigerians have consistently and resoundingly proven in two consecutive cycles of general elections, as well as, other off-cycle elections, their outright rejection of the PDP.

This, Akpanudoedehe said, made the preference and endorsement of the APC by Nigerians as the party of choice obvious.

“The PDP’s ranting reminds us of its ignominious era where crude oil was sold at an average of 100 dollars per barrel for a consecutive period of four years,” he said.

He said that Nigeria got an excess of at least 30 dollars per barrel above budget benchmark by raking in surplus revenue with nothing to show for it.

“Going by the cankerworm of revelations after the descent of PDP, the CBN’s vault was thrown open and virtually abandoning professionalism where individuals drove in to cart away raw cash.

“We need to remind all patriotic Nigerians, once again of the missing 20 billion dollars from the coffers of government as reported by the then country’s number one banker Malam Lamido Sanusi.

“Billions of naira meant for arms importation was reportedly discovered in private jets belonging to allies of the then government in faraway South Africa, by the South African authorities.

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“Billions of dollars reportedly budgeted for the importation of arms to fight terrorism, particularly Boko Haram terrorists, ended up in private accounts of politicians and their cronies which was an infestation of the Dasukigate scandal,” he said.

Akpanudoedehe said the PDP was playing to the gallery in an attempt to play deniability and take away the gaze of Nigerians from the remarkable strides of the Buhari-led APC administration.

He added that the Buhari administration inherited an empty treasury, saying that the global decline in oil prices in 2014, significantly affected its well laid out plans for development.

He further added that in spite of the challenges, the administration was building blocks for a virile and sustainable Nigeria, economically and agriculturally and building strong institutions.

He said that the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has successfully curbed excesses of government officials who may be prone to graft.

Akpanudoedehe said that the government has successfully aligned Nigeria’s budget cycle with the January-December window to allow for better delivery of services to Nigerians.

He added that the 326km Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri railway abandoned for more than 30 years has been completed and in full operations with modern coaches.

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“The 156.5km Lagos-Ibadan double track standard rail line is now in operation, a lot of other rail lines are underway, with varying funding needs due to the PDP recklessness in times of abundance.

“In the power sector, the APC-led administration is battling to reverse years of neglect in spite of billions of dollars sunk into the cesspool of corruption in the sector.

“The 3050 MW Mambilla Power Project, conceptualised over 30 years ago, is now receiving concrete attention, imagine if all these have been done in the years when excess revenues were at the disposal of PDP,” he said.

He said that the Buhari-led administration was carrying out monumental interventions which have leapfrogged Nigeria to the largest economy in Africa and the 25th largest economy in the world as announced by the IMF.

Akpanudoedehe wondered why the PDP would be deluding itself that Nigerians wanted it back in government.