The Federal Government,Tuesday, taunted the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, asking it to complete its apology to Nigerians by returning all the funds looted from the public treasury during its 16 years in power.
The PDP, on Monday, reflected on its 16 years stewardship and admitted it made mistakes and asked Nigerians to forgive its wrongdoings. National chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, who spoke at a public discourse, said the party was sorry for its mistakes.
But in a statement by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, the All Progressives Congress, APC-led Federal Government also challenged the party to show the genuineness of its apology through a discernible change of attitude.
Mohammed said: ”The PDP presided over an unprecedented looting of the public treasury, perhaps the worst of its kind in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world. Therefore, the best evidence of penitence for such a party is not just to own up and apologise, but to also return the looted funds. Anything short of that is mere deceit.
”Even with the paucity of funds, this administration has spent an unprecedented amount of money on infrastructural development and Social Investment Programme, among others. Returning looted funds will provide more money for these programmes and make life more meaningful for Nigerians.There is no better apology than that.
”If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging,” saying it applies to the PDP at this time.
”PDP, press the reset button; stop sabotaging the work of this administration, which is packing the mess you left behind, through your reckless statements and unfounded allegations.
”Play responsible opposition politics. Put Nigeria’s interest over and above partisan interest. Temper your desperation to return to power. Spend quality time in the purgatory and you will be forgiven.”
However, the PDP countered and asked the APC and the federal government to end their sanctimonious stance and immediately return to the Federation Account all stolen funds it claimed were used to finance President Muhammadu Buhari’s election in 2015.
The party said the APC and the federal government could not continue to play saints when state governors, who stole hundreds of billions of naira meant for the development of their states to fund Buhari’s election in 2015, were still enjoying cover as members of the Buhari kitchen cabinet, despite outrage from their people.
Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP National Publicity Secretary, in a statement Tuesday said there was no evidence that the PDP looted any public fund, noting that the APC and Buhari campaigned for the 2015 presidential election with looted billions of naira meant for the provision of essential amenities for ordinary Nigerians.
The party also chided the Information and Culture Minister for asking the PDP to return looted fund, saying on the contrary, the APC should have a reckoning with its conscience.
“If there is any party that should refund looted funds, it is the APC, which directly used stolen money to scheme in the election of President Buhari in 2015, while known culpable persons now sit comfortably around the Presidential table, still superintending over the looting of our common patrimony.
“It is, to say the least, despicable that the APC and its federal government, in their arrogance, would always try to play the saint when they were elected with stolen fund and have continued to reek with filth and sleaze.
“Nigerians are aware that prior to the 2015 election, President Buhari had informed (the people) that he was insolvent. He however took Nigerians by surprise as he enjoyed one of the most expensive presidential campaigns in the history of our nation, while turning a blind eye to reports of massive looting of funds from APC controlled states.
“This is the APC, whose government, has been rated by international bodies including the Transparency International (TI) which latest report, shows that corruption and sleaze had escalated under its watch. This is the same government where ministers and officials indicted for corruption and looting of public funds, particularly in the oil and gas sector, which is directly under the purview of Mr. President, are shielded and condoned.
“While the repositioned PDP maintain its unpretentious stance towards Nigerians, we charge the Minister of Information to direct his demand to the Presidency and the APC as Nigerians are expecting them to refund the stolen funds they used to scheme themselves into office in 2015,” the statement read in part.
The Federal Government and PDP spoke as mixed reactions trailed the opposition party’s apology.
It will be suicidal for Nigerians to believe PDP – Mohammed
Dr. Junaid Mohammed, Second Republic lawmaker said it would be suicidal for Nigerians to believe or give the PDP audience.
“Frankly speaking, this statement coming from the PDP simply made us believe leaders of the party realised they are capable of making mistakes and calling on Nigerians to forgive them. I believe their statement is hypocritical because they are not being sincere.
“Nigerians should not listen to them because we all knew how people like Obasanjo imposed a sick Yar’Adua on this country, even after his death, we all remember how he brought Jonathan into government and we all knew how the government ended in a monumental tragedy and till date, Nigeria is yet to come out fully from those experiences. So, nobody should give PDP any audience because giving them audience will be another disaster and suicidal.”
It’s demonstration of humility, sincerity – Osuntokun
However, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, former political adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo said: “I don’t see anything wrong with the admission of shortcomings and inadequacies.
That is a demonstration of humility and sincerity. Rectitude is a required good beginning for the potential to do well in a position for which you are representing yourself. The other need for apology is that whoever is responsible, by default for the emergence of the disastrous APC government has got a lot of cause to apologise to Nigerians.”
PDP should return looted funds instead of apologizing – Etiebet
On his part, Chief Don Etiebet, former Minister of Petroleum, asked the PDP to bring back the money its members stole instead of apologising to Nigerians.
“Who wouldn’t feel very ashamed especially with the revelations of barefaced looting that occurred during their administration. They will apologise just to save their face their faces. Everywhere you look their hand of looting is there. At every opportunity they were looting, making deals and taking out money.
Everybody is overwhelmed. They should thank President Buhari for being very soft on them because in other climes they would be struggling to stay out of jail than talking politics.”
How PDP can make its apology genuine – Ambakaderimo
Also, Comrade Joseph Ambakaderimo, the Convener, South-South Reawakening Group, SSRG, said: ”It is one thing to tender apology and it is also another to know if the apology genuinely comes from the heart. Yes apologies are good but in this case the man tendering the apology on behalf of his party is himself a product of impunity and what makes it looks trivial to me is he calls out the ruling party in reference or comparison. What has the APC got to do with the PDP apology? Is PDP now owning up to raping and decapitating our common patrimony for the past 16 years? The genuine apology will be to return the loot to the Nigerian people only then Nigerians will take them seriously. For now, it is a slap on the face of all of us.”
PDP made the apology to move forward—Babatope
Chief Ebenezer Babatope, a member of PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, justified the apology, saying: “That was a good statement by the National Chairman of our party. He knew that mistakes had been made and for the party to move forward we need to apologise. That is a sign that we are serious about winning the next election because Nigeria cannot continue under a party like the APC that has no vision. The party is just pushing Nigerians around. The next thing is for us to make Nigerians know that we offer a better alternative.’
