LP to Buhari: Don't Take Nigerians for Granted over Chibok Girls
The Labour Party has advised the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), not to take Nigerians for granted by backing down on their campaign promises, as the people are expectant of real change.
The advice was contained in a statement issued in Lagos, on Wednesday, by the National Secretary of the party, Barrister Kayode Ajulo.
According to Ajulo, “It is quite disturbing that even before constituting his transition committee, that would examine the hand-over notes of various ministries and recommend practical implementation strategy, based on his campaign promises, President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari has already started giving the thumb up to the naysayers.
“The basis on which those Nigerians that voted for Buhari on the March 28, 2015 presidential election did and with so much passion, was the belief that he could be an instrument of thorough and fundamental changes carried out with the sharpness and precision of a sound officer of the Nigerian army, though retired.
“Two very important grounds on which the General presented himself to the Nigerian electorate to canvass for support, are already being demolished by no other person than the retired general himself.
“While in the Labour Party, we have never hidden our support for President Goodluck Jonathan in the last election, we have resolved to accept the results and key into those promises made by the winner, since these democratically approximate the quest of the Nigerian people.
“It however, amounts to taking the people for granted and being insensitive to the yearnings of the public to want to even suggest that campaign promises cannot be fulfilled by the winner at the pace desired by the people.
“Only a few days ago, President-elect, Muhammadu Buhar, said point blank that Nigerians should not expect miracles.
“The question to ask Buhari and his co-travellers in APC is that, did they promise Nigerians miracles? If they did, then honour demands that they perform such miracles?
“But if they did not promise miracles, but had promised to solve real problems, then they should not expect Nigerians to fold their arms and resign to fate. Those promises must be fulfilled significantly.
“In what way does showing commitment to these promises make them magicians or miracle workers? Or were those promises mere campaign gimmicks? Were those promises part of propaganda and mere promo to run down the incumbent and promote the then candidate of APC?
“On our part for now, we would like to believe that the promises were not mere attempts to hoodwink an entire nation. That will be too costly for a large opposition, cobbled out of the most disparate collection and shades of political ideas and hazy principles by a few deft politicians.
“But again, the utterances in the last 48 hours, have again shown that Nigerians need to be on their toes so that they are not severally raped by a bunch of power desperadoes who would make just any promise in order to seize hold of power and treasury, then bares their fangs after ascending the throne.
“We recall the APC’s promise to bring home the Chibok girls was one major front in their offensive against the Jonathan administration.
“The inability of President Jonathan to promptly defeat Boko Haram and bring back the girls alive, was showcased as evidence of incompetence and lack of commitment to security by the government.
“APC promised to win the war and bring home the girls as soon as it was handed power.
“But today, like Janus with two faces, they are showing the other face. President-elect has changed the tune from bringing home “our girls” to “I cannot promise that we can find them.” This kind of double speak, coming from a President, who in his days as military ruler had been accused of double standards, smacks of incorrigible bend towards broken promises.
“It would thus appear that all along, the APC seemed to know how dare the situation and circumstances of the Chibok girls were, but would rather benefit from the electoral capital of alluring promises, instead of commending genuine and relentless effort of the incumbent”, he said.
