PDP Govs Forum Ibadan declaration patriotic, in national interest – DG

By Tunde Opalana

The Director-General, PDP Governors Forum, Hon. Cyril Maduabum has knocked the Secretary of the APC Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe over his reaction to the patriotic positions of the Forum at its Ibadan meeting.

Senator Akpanudoedehew was quoted as saying that the Ibadan meeting of the PDP-GF was a mere “political jamboree and its outcome a waste of time, with no substance”. He further claimed that Buhari’s government has done a visible job in upgrading the country’s security architecture, governance, electoral reforms, and addressing perennial farmers and herders clashes.

The Director General said wondered how can a meeting of 15 State Governors that made concrete suggestions on how to improve the almost hopeless Nigerian condition under the APC Government be termed a Jamboree?

He said, “can a meeting that called for a speedy passage of the Electoral Act, de-escalation of tension in Nigeria, the equipping, welfare, training financing, and stoppage of personal attacks on Nigerian Police Force be termed a Jamboree and a waste of time?”

Speaking further, Maduabum said “it is most disheartening that an officer of an illegal, unelected and unlawful APC contraption is living in a fancy world. If one may ask, where did President Buhari do Electoral reforms in the last 6 years other than vetoeing 2 bills sent to him by the 8th NASS on Electoral reforms?.

“How has the country’s security architecture been improved by President Buhari other than in the imagination of Sen Akpanudodehe? Is he really serious that security has improved under Buhari? What concrete measures has APC government taken to curb Herders / Farmers clashes other than inciting and ridiculous statements regularly dished out from two Presidential aides on behalf of the so called Presidency?

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” Is it not a hallmark of how low our politics has sunken for an unelected Party Officer to rubbish the efforts of patriots to find lasting solutions to the Security and economic challenges facing the nation?. Is he not aware that issues of restructuring, devolution of powers, state policing proposals and ranching, have been endorsed by the Nigerian Governors Forum ( With 21 APC Governors), Northern Governors Forum (with 13 APC Governors) Southern Governors Forum (with 7 APC Governors,); Arewa Consultative Forum and even the El Rufai Committee?.”

The Director-General said perhaps because the Caretaker Committee is not elected and consequently, devoid of any democratic mandate, as required by the Nigerian Constitution, they seem to be insensitive to the feeling and suffering of Nigerians under APC misrule especially the insecurity and economic challenges facing the nation?.

“The PDP Governors Forum Communique had called on Mr President, to summon the Nigeria Police Council which is constitutionally mandated to organise and administer the Nigeria Police Force, a statutory organ of state comprising of Mr President as Chairman, the 36 State Governors, IGP and Chairman Police Service Commission as members, that has practically not been meeting since 2015, to begin to grapple with the immediate problems of policing, pending a constitutionally based restructuring”, he said.