TheCable

A civil society group says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is  suffering from “masses rejection syndrome”.

The group said this while questioning President Muhammadu Buhari’s interest in social intervention programme (SIP).

The leading opposition party had tackled the president, claiming the SIP funds was specifically being used for the 2019 general election.

The PDP also alleged that Buhari’s primary purpose is to wooing voters ahead of the 2019 elections.

“Good Governance Initiative has followed with interest the accusation by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that the Social Intervention Programme (SIP) of President Muhammadu Buhari amounted to vote buying and has come to the conclusion that the party is prematurely mourning its losses in the 2019 General Elections and must be suffering from ‘ Masses Rejection Syndrome’  [MRS],” Itodo Gideon, president of the group, said in a statement.

“Only a party that has lost touch will reality will claim that SIP, Sure-P, TradeMoni and other schemes that directly put money in the pockets of Nigerians are meant to induce people for the reelection of President Buhari. These programmes are in reality the foundation to building a system of economic safety nets for the vulnerable as practised in other countries.

“The knowledge that the PDP failed woefully to introduce similar schemes, particularly one not meant to reward party urchins, made it conclude that President Buhari’s programmes are meant for vote buying even when beneficiaries are drawn from across party lines. The whimpering of the PDP is therefore a clear sign that it is forecasting a resounding defeat for itself at the general elections.

“PDP’s pain at this looming defeat is understandable because the kind of failure it has to its credit takes a political party 50 years of handwork to recover from and that is only when it is contrite enough to stop insulting the populace by condemning programmes meant to improve their lot. Its current illusion is therefore not necessary as it will only further isolate it from the people with the potential to deny Nigerians of a virile opposition.

“Our candid counsel to the PDP is for it to stop chasing shadows and face the reality that President Buhari and Nigerians have a contract that met expectations and will be renewed beyond 2019. No amount of propaganda can terminate the contract especially since there has been no better offer to rival what Nigerians are getting other than the empty lies emanating from the PDP.

“It is most reassuring that the PDP would have to keep learning from the way President Buhari has positively affected the lives of Nigerians through the numerous projects he has delivered to the citizens.”