Nigeria 2015: Our Candidates, Policies Better Than APC’s – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said its array of candidates for the February elections are far better than those of the All Progressives Congress, APC, adding that the same is applicable to the policy direction of both parties.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Sunday detailed that the PDP is the only truly pan-Nigerian party for which the unity, stability and prosperity of the nation remain paramount.

“The founding fathers of the PDP had their eyes set on specific goals, which include ensuring the indivisibility of Nigeria, sustenance of democracy and providing enabling environment for the prosperity and welfare of our people. These have guided our governments and have continued to reflect in the quality of leadership by our elected and appointed officers at all tiers in the last 16 years. These are also the values that have resulted in the unparalleled milestones recorded in every sphere of our national life especially under the current administration.

The PDP said the quality of legislations and policies under its administration has continued to transform the nation into a destination for progress with Nigerians excelling in every sphere of life

“The strict adherence to the rule of law, the guarantee of personal freedom for all Nigerians, passage of the Freedom of Information Act, ensuring greater transparency in governance, the electoral reforms, the policy of wealth transfer leading to the unprecedented thriving of private enterprises, the agricultural and health reforms resulting in increased life expectancy and reduction in food import, the return of the railways and massive investment in road infrastructure and communication as well as growing the economy to become the largest in Africa and the third fasted growing in the world, all point to the superiority of the manifesto of the PDP and its ability to deliver good governance despite daunting challenges”, the statement said.

On the other hand, the PDP said the APC lacked a clear-cut manifesto noting that this has been further exposed by the hollowness of its campaigns and failure to articulate any concrete roadmap to back its much-mouthed change slogan (that) has exposed the fact that it only seeks power for power sake. It said this has also reflected in the calibre of its (APC) candidates, noting that they were no match for those of the PDP at all levels.

“Apart from the hollow chant of change and entertaining of their gatherings with recycled insults against office holders, the APC and its candidates, especially its Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, have not been able to articulate a clear-cut manifesto or explain to Nigerians the strategies they intend to use to bring about their so-called change.

“Whereas our Presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan has been campaigning on issues detailing his achievements and plans for the future, APC and General Buhari have so far failed to explain to Nigerians how they intend to create wealth or how they intend to handle things differently. They lack the ‘how’, a development which confirms that they are desperate politicians who seek power for their selfish interests”, the PDP said.

Stating that its performance remains verifiable, the PDP noted that the lack of a guiding manifesto on the part of the APC was responsible for the stagnation in their states, as they have remained helpless in the face of diversion of their resources to expand the economic interest of APC merchant owners.

It said the only achievements in APC states were those leveraged on the opportunities created by the PDP-led Federal Government through painstaking implementation of policies and prudent management of resource in line with the PDP manifesto and policy which directs the “creation of a dynamic economy in which market forces are combined with the forces of partnership, solidarity and cooperation for the benefit of the people”.