2019: Nigerians will beg PDP to return – Ekweremadu

2019: Nigerians will beg PDP to return – Ekweremadu
Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu at the weekend in Enugu expressed concern over the poor economic situation of the country noting that its consequence may be the collapse of businesses within the next six months.

Speaking at the meeting of the South-East caucus of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, the Deputy Senate President said the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, had so far shown that it was not a good manager of the economy.
He insisted that “there has been an unchecked downfall in our currency; Naira has depreciated to the point of N260 to a dollar; something that has never happened in the history of this country”.

This is also as a motion for vote of confidence was passed on him and the members of the South-East Zonal Working Committee of the party.
The motion moved by the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Chuchu Onyema, was seconded by the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Martins Azubuike.
The meeting was equally attended by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State as well as the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State and several National Assembly members.

Ekweremadu in his speech, cautioned that if something was not done urgently, the Onitsha and Alaba markets would close down in the next six months because the traders would run out of stock.

“So many people are worried over the situation of Nigerians in the hand of the APC; I don’t know what will happen between now and 2019. Unless APC changes their style, Nigerians will be begging PDP to come back” he said.

On the fight against corruption, Ekweremadu accused President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration of adopting a selective-approach in its anti-corruption war.

“The fight against corruption is selective, most of them media orchestrated; we are prepared to join hands with the government to fight corruption but it must be done in a very civilized way. Even the international community is no longer taking us serious”.

He further called on Buhari’s government to urgently address all cries of injustice in the country, saying “there is a lot of complaints in this country and there is no way injustice and peace can co-exist.
“Government should address complaints no matter where it is coming from. It should ensure that everybody has a sense of belonging”.

On the recently conducted Kogi State governorship election, the Deputy Senate President said the substitution of late Abubakar Audu would not stand.

“What happened in Kogi is totally unacceptable; no court will accept that; there is no way somebody will run election without a running mate; it will not stand; PDP will retake Kogi State”.

Also speaking, PDP national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh accused the APC of running a government of falsehood and propaganda, which he said was bound to fail.

He slammed the government for engaging in what he called “imaginary convictions”, stressing that “you cannot convict people in the media; the people who have refunded money should not only be named but should be tried publicly and jailed”.

While urging security agencies to respect the people’s rights with regards to the on-going pro-Biafra protest, Metuh observed that the right to peaceful protest was protected under democracy and stressed that instead of flexing muscles with innocent and un-armed protesters, security agents should move to the Sambisa forest and battle the Boko Haram sect.

Zonal vice chairman of the party, Col. Austin Akobundu, (Rtd.) had in his opening remarks stated that “notwithstanding the apparent victories we achieved at the last general elections in the zone, it is glaring that our party now faces more challenges than it has ever experienced since its formation”.
END.