Nigeria @ 59: APC, Atiku, PDP bicker on state of union

.We’re better together, APC insists, commends Buhari’s efforts at national devt

.Don’t surrender to despondency, PDP urges Nigerians as Atiku says all is not well with Nigeria

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar on Monday threw verbal jabs at each other over the state of the nation with the APC declaring that Nigeria is now stronger as an indivisible nation, while Atiku insists that all is not well with the country.

While felicitating with Nigerians on the country’s 59th independence anniversary, the APC said there is unity in Nigeria’s ethnic, social and religious diversity.

In a felicitation message to Nigerians signed by the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa- Onilu, on Monday, the party commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his visionary leadership in turning around the fortune of the country.

The party gave kudos to President Buhari for his many developmental policies targeted at national development.

In the statement, the party said: “We remember and salute our founding fathers who fought for the independence of our great country and also members of our Armed Forces, many of whom have paid the supreme sacrifice to defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity and keep our country united.

“As a nation, we are better together than we are apart. Hence, we must be wary of those who hide under religion, politics, tribe and sundry groupings to turn us against one another. Despite our perceived differences, our strength and progress depends on our ability to harness our rich diversity.

“In spite of the inherited and our current challenges, President Muhammadu Buhari administration has made commendable strides on so many fronts, most significantly the fight against graft, diversifying and revamping the economy, curbing insurgency and emerging crimes, promoting positive values in our national life, strengthening our democratic institutions and processes and achieving a respectable international standing.

“Finally, we admonish well-meaning Nigerians to engage only in acts that would heal our fault lines by promoting ethnic and religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, which would engender Nigeria’s growth and development.

The APC said as Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria can do much better, given her natural resources and potential, stressing that “the President Buhari administration is committed to building on and affirming our Giant of Africa status”.

But, Atiku Abubakar, however, countered the APC’s position, saying in his independence anniversary message that as the country rolls out the drums to celebrate the 59 years, that all is not well with the nation.

In an independent anniversary message on Monday, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) narrated the decay in the nation’s socio – political and economic landscape over the years while expressing hope that there is a change in the horizon.

“On October 1, 1960, our nation’s Founding Fathers could never have fathomed that 59 years after birthing the largest black nation on earth, we would be facing a situation where we do not have a free press, our judiciary being under attack, and our youths and activists, who should ordinarily be the future of Nigeria, would be facing the very real threat of arrest and intimidation should they speak out about the state of the nation.

“All is not well when judges are persecuted for enforcing the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human rights of Nigerian citizens. All is not well when Nigeria is now officially the world headquarters for extreme poverty and out of school children, yet the cost of maintaining those in government continues to grow, while the needs of the governed are not being met.

“And certainly, all is not well when the media cannot freely express itself without the fear that those who wield the big stick would use it on them for saying things as they are”, Atiku lamented.

The Wazirin Adamawa, however, saw a ray of hope and called on Nigerians to advance the betterment of the situation and a progressive nation.

He said: “I could call for prayers, as others would indeed call for today. I could also call on Nigerians to show more understanding, as indeed many have said in the past and will undoubtedly say again today.

“But I am mindful of the fact that the time for rhetoric has long since passed and now is the time for all lovers of Nigeria to take concrete steps to aid Nigeria’s progress, by not just praying and showing understanding, but also to take democratic action to ensure that the ideals of our founding fathers – Unity and faith, peace and progress – are not set aside on the altar of tyranny.

“So, rather than just call for prayers today, I am calling on all Nigerians to believe in Nigeria’s betterment, to work for Nigeria’s betterment, and to insist that no one in Nigeria, no matter how highly placed, shall be bigger than the laws of our land.

“It is not all gloom and doom, however. There is still hope. Much hope. I took time to listen to a recent remark made by the Emir of Kano, HRM Muhammed Sanusi II about why we need to pay more attention to the issue of girl-child education. It is an age-long truism that women are the teachers of a nation.

“I make bold to say that the greatness of our country, Nigeria has much to do with how well we educate how children, especially the girl-child. My commendation goes to Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State for leading the way by massively investing in public education.

“You see, when we put Nigeria first, we not only revive the Nigerian Dream, we also revive Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress, which were the ideals that our founding fathers had in mind when they came together to put forward this new and independent nation 59 years ago on October 1, 1960.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us and we all have a role to play in making our nation great. Nigeria should be the beacon of hope, democracy and freedom, to not only the African continent but to the black diaspora the world over.

“And to ensure that this becomes the case, we all have a duty to support and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And this we must do, so help us God.”

Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) commended the citizens for their resilience in standing up for the unity and survival of the nation despite the daunting challenges.

The PDP urged Nigerians to keep hope alive and not surrender to despondency in the face of the excesses, impunity and recklessness of retrogressive forces in high places seeking to undermine national cohesion, freedom of the citizens as guaranteed by the constitution as well as emasculate the will and aspiration of Nigerians as a people.

The PDP noted that the October 1 date remains an undying signpost of Nigeria’s freedom and unity as a nation.

In a statement by party spokesperson Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP reminded Nigerians of the roots of the their national cohesiveness; the sacrifices of their heroes and determination to live harmoniously and succeed as one people, in all spheres of human endeavours; a national distinctiveness for which Nigeria are known and respected all over the world.

“The party celebrates the resilience and industry of Nigerians in various fields within and outside the shores of our country as well as the fortitude displayed by our citizens to remain united despite the odds.

“The PDP however notes that it is indeed depressing that after 59 years of independence and efforts by patriotic Nigerians in nurturing democratic practice and tenets, the last four years have experienced a complete retrogression to primordial division, impunity, constitutional and human rights violations, assault on institutions of democracy, disobedience to court orders, electoral malpractices and governance by a cabal.

“In the same vein, in the last four years, our nation has been faced with the challenge of falling from being one of the fastest growing economies and home to world’s happiest people to become world’s poverty capital with a citizenry confronted by misery, insecurity, escalated violence, bloodletting, kidnapping, banditry and worsened insurgency”, said the party.

The PDP, however, expressed optimism that the nation will eventually come out of the woods and urged Nigerians to use the occasion of the independence anniversary to rekindle their commitment towards the unity, stability and development.

The party urged leaders at all levels to be committed and sacrificial in the discharge of their duties and desist from empty promises, rhetoric and propaganda, as Nigerians look up to them for solutions.

The party prayed for the stability of the nation and wishes Nigerians happy independence celebrations.