By Gabriel Atumeyi
365Daily – The Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum (PDP-GF) has replied the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s statement which described the forum’s meeting in Ibadan on Monday as a political jamboree and a waste of time.
365 Daily reported on Monday, 17 May 2021, that rising from a meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, PDP governors called on President Mohammadu Buhari to immediately send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly to amend the constitution to devolve more powers to states to enable them tackle security under the state police.
The PDP Governors also aligned with their southern counterparts on the ban on open grazing, urging the President to call a meeting of where all Governors and other critical stakeholders would brainstorm and implement strategies for combating threats to national unity.
Responding to the APC in a statement issued on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, the PDP Governors Forum’s Director General, Hon CID Maduabum, insisted that the meeting of the governors under the platform was patriotic and in the interest of the nation.
The Forum stated that the reaction of the APC showed it was clearly a party that is insensitive to the suffering and plight of Nigerians, while enumerating the many sins of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The statement reads: “The attention of the PDP Governors Forum, PDP – GF, has been drawn to a statement credited to the Secretary of the illegal APC Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, while reacting to the patriotic positions of the Forum at its Ibadan meeting.
“He 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.
“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 vetoing 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?
“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?.
“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.
“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? 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?
“No wonder that after more than a year of usurping the offices of the APC National Executive Committee, the Caretaker Committee is unable to organise a National Convention and had to take the unprecedented step, just this week of describing those who sought for the holding of the APC National Convention , as “the handwork of political jobbers” and “fifth Columnists”.
“The illegal APC Caretaker/ Extraordinarily Convention Planning Committee extended their 6 month mandate to One year. Is the inability of APC to constitute a Board of Trustees since 2014 going to be repeated for its National Convention?. Maybe if the Committee faced its unlawful mandate squarely it would not be making reckless statements. This is time calls for statesmen and patriots to work together to RESCUE NIGERIA.”