The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari to address the injustices and nepotism that led to the civil war in the country, stressing that it was not enough to tell the stories of the war to youths without tackling the issues that led to the war.
The main opposition party called on the Buhari administration to address alleged exclusionist policies, divisive comments, disregard for rules, political witch-hunt and failure to bring perpetrators of violence to book, stating that these were issues that led to the 30 months’ civil war.
According to the party, all efforts by well-meaning Nigerians and groups to ensure unity and harmonious co-existence in the country are being destroyed by the APC and the Buhari administration through brazing acts of nepotism, total disdain for merit and complete disregard for federal character principle in appointments, projects and programmes.
The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said Buhari’s habitual body count and reference to the sordid experience of the civil war, particularly to the youth, was fuelling disunity as his administration was still perpetuating similar, if not worse injustices, inequality, corruption and impunity that lead to disunity.
According to PDP, it is sad that the president is always trying to push the nation backward instead of looking ahead to a glorious future.
This, it said, was a sorry situation, which further confirms that the Buhari presidency and the APC have nothing cheering to offer to the future of the nation.
The PDP explained that by gathering the youth to engage in civil war recounts, while failing to take concrete actions to end the injustices of his administration and prosecute perpetrators of political and sectional violence under his watch, the president is doing more harm than good to the psyche of young Nigerians.
“Exclusionist policies as well as repugnant protection of killers and corrupt elements, which have apparently become policies of the APC, are the very marked difference between the APC and the party, the PDP, which promotes inclusiveness, equal opportunity, justice, fairness, equity, regard for merit, federal character principle and security of citizens, which fostered national stability under the PDP.
“Alas, the APC has done our nation a lot of harm. Indeed, there is no way the unity of our nation can be guaranteed under the APC that thrives in witch-hunt, violence and division; and which has not taken any step to demand for the prosecution of perpetrators of the mass killings in Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kano, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Adamawa, Ekiti, Niger, Borno states and other parts of our nation.
“If the Buhari presidency and the APC are indeed committed to the unity of our nation, they should start by retracing their steps by adhering to rules; ending all their exclusionist polices and accord equal commitment and opportunity to all sections of our country as required by the constitution,” the main opposition party explained.
