TheCable

The presidency has criticised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its statement on the President Bola Tinubu administration.

On Thursday, the PDP conducted its 98th national executive council (NEC) meeting at the party’s secretariat in Abuja.

During the meeting, the PDP NEC asked Umar Damagum to remain as the acting national chair of the PDP.

In a communique issued after the meeting, PDP NEC expressed concerns over “the ill-implemented policies of the insensitive APC administration, leading to worsening insecurity”.

“NEC expresses serious apprehensions over the spate of acts of terrorism and violence including the escalated cases of mindless killings, mass abduction of innocent Nigerians and marauding of communities in various parts of the country,” PDP said in a communique.

“NEC condemns the insensitivity, nonchalance, incompetence and arrogance in failure of the APC administration which continues to conduct itself in a manner that shows that it has no iota of interest or commitment towards the wellbeing of Nigerians.

“NEC also condemns the creeping totalitarianism and tendencies towards a one-Party State which is inimical to the peace, stability and corporate existence of our nation as well as the development of Democracy and good governance in the country.

“NEC, after due consideration demands that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should urgently convene a special National Security Council meeting to proffer a holistic solution and measures to curb the disturbing insecurity with its attendant negative consequences on our national life.

“NEC also demands that President Tinubu should immediately rejig his Economic Team to bring in persons of proven integrity and competence without bias and vested interest to assist in repositioning the economy.”

Reacting to the communique, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said members of the PDP NEC “completely ignored” reality and the “stellar” achievements of the Tinubu administration.

Onanuga said Tinubu’s economic team is doing well, contrary to PDP’s take, adding that the security situation of the country is improving.

“We believe the party’s NEC members must have been habiting another planet, as all the accusations contradicted the reality on ground and completely ignored the stellar achievements recorded by the Tinubu Administration in less than one year,” the statement reads.

“Unlike the PDP administration of 16 years, the Tinubu administration has been confronting the problems of our country headlong, moving for an audacious reset that will firmly put our country on a solid economic pedestal.

“The results are already showing. Contrary to the pessimism and wishes of some PDP leaders, the National Currency has become the world’s best performing, appreciating by almost 50 percent against the dollar in a few weeks.

“The PDP is advised to harmonise its home first, rather than accusing President Tinubu of trying to entrench one party state. President Tinubu nurses no such plan as it only exists in the imagination of the opposition PDP.”