President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, declared that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ended up as an opposition party, despite its power, because it wasted the opportunities to improve the lives of the people.
The president who took a swipe at the party said it wasted the opportunities it had in its 16 years rule to make the country a better place.
He said with the enormous resources available in the country the PDP had no excuse not to do better.
According to him, had the leading opposition party spent 25 per cent of the resources available on infrastructure when it was in power, Nigerians would not have had the problems of bad roads, lack of good rail system and power among others.
The president made the remark on Tuesday when he received members of a South East group, One on One Nigeria.
He said the amount of mismanagement the PDP caused the country was too much and that his administration was just trying to put things right.
Said he: “We are trying to organise the country. The extent of mismanagement we met when we came was mind-boggling…
“Many times, I have spoken about the tremendous resources available to us between 1999 and 2014, and how it was frittered. If only they had used just 25% of it on infrastructure; road, rail, power, Nigerians would mind their own businesses, and not bother about whoever was in power. The casualty figure on our roads daily is simply scandalous. No wonder they are in opposition now, despite all the power they thought they had.”
The group, led by Chief Chido Obidiegwu, expressed gratitude to the president for some of the steps it had taken to contribute to the development of the South East and the nation in general.
“It is now payback time,” Obidiegwu said.
According to Obidiegwu, “We have seen the work being done on the long-abandoned Second Niger Bridge, roads are being constructed in many parts of the region, and we believe there is every reason to support you for a second term.”
Describing President Buhari as the “grandfather of war against indiscipline and corruption, nightmare of insurgents, Mr Food Security, consolation to pensioners, and Mr Frugality,” the group said it was going to mobilise South-Easterners to massively vote for him, believing that one good turn would then deserve another in 2023.
The One on One Nigeria promised to mobilise youth groups, women, artisans, traders, religious groups to massively vote for President Buhari.
The leader said the group had the “courage, drive, verve and vitality” to support Buhari.
Seven men and two women represented One on One Nigeria during the visit.
