In response to the chaos caused by a highly anticipated nationwide protest, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government to immediately review and revise its anti-people policies, which are causing severe hardship in the country.
The PDP stated that the nationwide protest by Nigerians could have been avoided if the APC government had shown humility, sensitivity, and a genuine commitment to addressing the citizens’ concerns by taking steps to alleviate the current hardships brought on by poorly implemented policies.
The PDP recalled that it has repeatedly advised the APC government on economic matters, most recently in a statement on June 6, 2024, urging President Tinubu to “listen to the heartbeat of Nigerians,” noting that “there is hunger and destitution in the land,” and warning that “the reaction of a hungry people is better imagined! Mr. President, please act now.”
The national publicity secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologungaba, lamented that these counsels were not heeded, leading to the current situation.
Ologungaba added, “It is alarming that instead of engaging Nigerians and addressing their concerns, the APC allegedly recruited hoodlums to instigate violence to justify a clampdown and killing of innocent Nigerians.”
He further criticized the APC’s insensitivity, pointing out that over 120 million Nigerians are now destitute and unable to afford daily meals and basic necessities, with the poverty rate soaring to over 40% due to the APC administration’s harmful policies.
The PDP emphasized that any government truly concerned with the welfare of its people would have been cautious about the devastating effects of hastily and poorly implemented policies, such as the abrupt increase in petroleum prices and the arbitrary floating of the Naira without adequate measures to cushion the impact on the populace.
The PDP attributed the crippling of the productive sector to these reckless policies, noting the devaluation of the Naira to over N1,500 per Dollar, fuel prices exceeding N1,000 per liter, skyrocketing costs of goods and services with an inflation rate over 34%, an unemployment rate exceeding 40%, and the closure of millions of businesses, along with the mass exodus of major multinational companies from the country.