By Rose Onda
The youth wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lambasted the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, for comparing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and their party.
The opposition party’s youths, under the auspices of the PDP National Youth Movement, warned that Prof. Jega should stop misleading Nigerians, as it alleged that he (Jega) was part of those who set Nigerian progress on reverse gear since 2015.
In a statement signed by its National President, Engineer Salaudeen A. Lukman, the PDP youths said the recent outburst of the former INEC chairman on BBC Hausa was either a deliberate attempt to mislead the unsuspecting general public or tricks to announce his new political alliance.
“It is so annoying to listen to principal actor and prime conspirator who put Nigerians and Nigeria nation into her present state of abysmal where everything seems backwards with unprecedented hunger, poverty and insecurity.
“One will wonder such comparison coming from a renowned Professor of Political Science who is older than Nigeria independence having practically experienced every political dispensations and republic from the inception of Nigeria as a nation making such unguided statement.
“It is either a deliberate attempt to mislead the unsuspecting general public or tricks to announce his new political alliance which is unworthy, unbefitting and dishonourable of a class of man and calibre of citizen Prof Jega belongs being a former Chairman of Nigeria’s electoral body, INEC.
“Comparing an era of PDP that appointed a common man, a core northerner, Muslim from the ancient city of Jega in Kebbi state, who lectures at Bayero University Kano, base on competency and pedigree to head Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission INEC under a southern Nigerian Presidency of Dr Goodluck Jonathan alone is a pointer to discredit Prof Jega claims of ‘no different between APC and PDP era in Nigeria’.
“The party that handed over a robust economy rated the largest economy in Africa, with the exchange rate at N160/$1 and PMS pump price at N87/Litre to this APC regime where Nigeria turned to World Poverty Headquarters, the exchange rate at N510/$1, three times pump price hikes with annual repeated unending subsidy removal, double-digit inflation rate, the all-time highest rate of unemployment and the worst of all, killings of citizens at their doorsteps by kidnappers, highway by bandits and farmland by criminal Fulani herdsmen.
“While the fight against terrorists became weaker following the emergence of an International splinter group known as ISWAP different from the earlier known local Boko Haram both terrorizing our dear nation.
“The Party that destroyed almost all the bonds of our national cohesion with an upsurge of agitation for secession from various section/tribes in Nigeria owing to the nepotic nature of the incumbent APC-led administration can’t be compared to PDP era except one is insincere and unfair to our dear political party,” the group said.
It, therefore, called on the former INEC boss to apologize to Nigerians for overseeing the election that brought the APC into power.
“Nigerians should ignore Prof Jega and his tricks, the Prof only wants to inform Nigerians that he has joined one regional political party and that is all, nothing more. The following statement is inconsequential.
“Prof Attahiru Jega should be guided and stop misleading Nigerians for he is part of those who set Nigerian progress on reverse gear since 2015,” said the PDP youth.