The former Senate president and three-time minister, Dr. Iyorchia, yesterday assumed office as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with the promise to restore the party back to the people.
He also accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of pushing Nigeria and Nigerians into a debtor nation with over $90 billion debt, while lamenting that Nigeria has become a failed state due to increasing rate of insecurity and poverty in the country.
In his acceptance speech yesterday after being sworn-in, Ayu said, “Our task at this auspicious moment is to return the party to the people. But to do that, the party needs to be reinvigorated, reinvented and repositioned. We are not unmindful of our missed steps and actions in the past, but we have learnt our lessons, both in government and in opposition.”
According to Ayu, the PDP is the only organic political party in Nigeria that has remained a credible, tested, tasted and trusted mass movement since the return of democracy in 1999, adding that other political parties had either fizzled away or merged with others.
He said that other political parties had mutated into a contraption like the ruling All Progressives Congress, without any clear ideology or a coherent programme of action, adding that this contraption seduced Nigerians with propaganda in 2015.
According to him, Nigerians today have seen the limit of propaganda and demagoguery “as the only thing the APC is doing successfully is irresponsible borrowing.”
However, he said that the PDP on the other hand, has a history of performance and legacy achievements in its 16 years while in power.
“We not only gave Nigerians good governance, we also strengthened democratic institutions to add value to the people. In an unprecedented move, we stabilised our democracy by sanitising the armed forces of politically exposed officers.
“We gave Nigeria her first-ever successful transition from one civilian administration to another in 2007. To the disbelief of all watchers of African politics, we willingly conceded defeat in 2015, and handed over power to an opposition party in 2015.
“It was the PDP-federal government that created value-adding public institutions like the EFCC, ICPC, NAFDAC, the Debt Management Office (DMO), the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), among many others.
“The PDP administration also strengthened the governance process by enacting laws to effectively drive public administration in Nigeria, namely: the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the Mid-Term Expenditure Framework, the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) just to mention a few.”
According to the new PDP National Chairman, the PDP negotiated and obtained forgiveness of “over $30 billion of debt, making Nigeria almost a debt-free country. Foreign direct investments flowed in. Cumulatively, the foregoing made Nigeria, not only the fastest growing economy in Africa, but also the biggest economy on the continent.
“From the biggest economy in 2015, the APC has given the country two recessions and turned Nigeria into the Poverty Capital of the world. Today, close to 40 million Nigerians have no jobs.
“In the last six years, the APC-led government has mismanaged our diversity; divided the country along regional and religious lines. It has exacerbated religious tensions in the country. And through its marriage to nepotism, the incompetent APC federal government is fuelling secessionist agitations in the East and West of Nigeria.
“Nigeria is drifting dangerously towards a failed state. Terrorists are now sharing sovereignty with Nigeria. Nigeria is simply ungoverned. Nigeria is collapsing under the leadership of a retired general,” he stated.
According to Atiku, “The APC used both the mainstream media and the social media to access power. Today, it coordinates a systematic assault on the media, civic freedoms and freedom of speech.
“Let me give you the grim legacy of the APC: two economic recessions in six years. A sluggish GDP growth rate of below two per cent. About 40 million Nigerians have been pushed into extreme poverty in six years. Inflation is at an all-time high at 18 per cent.
“A weak and devalued Naira; devalued by over 300 per cent since 2015, has made our currency the worst in Africa. Unemployment now stands at 33 per cent. Meaning: Close to 40 million Nigerians, willing and able to work, can’t find jobs.
“A total debt stock of over $90 billion now hangs over Nigeria. An erratic exchange rate regime has depleted N324 against the US Dollar in the last six years.
“Kidnapping for ransom is now big business. We share sovereignty with terrorists who kidnap and rape our women, including our mothers and under-aged children. The terrorists even kill them when ransom is delayed. There are not political alarms, but statements of facts,” he said.
He said he was not here not to merely recount APC’s spectacular failures, saying, “ I stand here to assure you that PDP is back to rescue and rebuild Nigeria. Under the new NWC, PDP will strengthen its internal democratic processes. We shall endeavour to reach out to all party members, young and old, male and female.
“This National Working Committee will create alternate platforms within the party to actively engage the young people and our women, not only for mobilising and winning elections, but for advocacy, policy formulation and the design of a new development agenda for the party.
“We shall return the party to vigorous discussions; pay serious attention to new thinking and the implementation of policies and programmes that will secure and improve the quality of life of all Nigerians,” Ayu reassured.
He said that the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) would be revived and strengthened to drive this process, reassuring that before the next election cycle, “we shall present a PDP manifesto that will bring back hope to our people.”
According to him, “PDP administration will change the narrative. We will unite the people. We will deepen the content of our democracy. We will rebuild our collapsed economy. We will make Nigerians the focus of development.
“We will expand our international vision beyond Niger Republic. We will check the rampaging insecurity. We will restore Nigeria’s lost glory. And we will reclaim our dignity, destiny and pride as the Giant of Africa.
“To our faithful, I, on behalf of the new NWC, pledge to be guided by consultation, team-work, internal democracy and national interest. To all non-PDP members, we say our umbrella can accommodate all of us. And to our members who left, I urge you to come back home; our doors are still open,” he restated as part of his vision .
He served a quick notice to the ruling party, saying “To the APC, we, once again, renew our quit notice on you. Begin to prepare your handover notes.
“To Africa and the international community — we know you are worried about Nigeria. But we assure you that PDP will pull Nigeria back from the brink. PDP will not allow Nigeria to fulfill those doomsday predictions,” he stated.
He paid tributes to all founding-leaders, to wit: Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, Senator Francis Ellah and others who have transited to the great beyond.
Ayu also commended the stakeholders of the party for making his election possible.
His inauguration was attended by all PDP governors, former vice presidents, Atiku Abubakar, Namadi Sambo, among other dignitaries
