The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the criticisms credited to the Lagos State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Moshood Salvador against the Lagos State government as needless efforts to resurrect a dead party through vain grandstanding, making empty and hollow promises that mark PDP’s 16 wasteful years in power.
The APD said it did not consider PDP as a credible alternative given its historic failure as a ruling party in Nigeria for 16 years where Nigeria became a cesspit for corruption, looting and impunity with not even one worthwhile project to outlive those wasted years.
In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of APC, Joe Igbokwe, the party said that PDP is desperately trying to get a life from the debris where maladministration, corruption and impunity landed it by picking out a wrong opponent in the Ambode regime.
The APC advised Lagos PDP to rather seek ways to apologise and atone for its destructive years in power instead of indulging in vain efforts to see itself as an alternative to APC and its government in Lagos.
Igbokwe said: “PDP is latching to the review of Land Use charge by the hyper active Ambode regime to seek the revival of a Party that is synonymous with corruption and incompetence in a Lagos that had been turned into a bursting center of growth, progress and development in the last 16 years. This is a cheeky way that would not be allowed the surviving remnants of PDP.
“Governor Ambode is setting a pace in result-oriented governance and quick and classy deliverance. In reviewing upwards the Land Use charge and some other fees in Lagos, the Governor is driven by the desire and resolve to continue the landmark and record-setting infrastructural development of Lagos as he is doing since he came to power nearly three years ago.
“Lagos APC notes the complaints of well-meaning Lagosians about these reviews that had made the Governor to down-wardly review the fees. We believe, that in line with his people-oriented inclination, the Governor is still open to further engagement on these fees, which are meant to solidify the position of Lagos as the nation’s masterpiece in infrastructural development and growth. There is no place for a PDP that has a notorious history of corruption and unproductivity to play their sly politics here.
“We see as a cheap and mischievous solicitation for support the pedestrian and outlandish remarks Lagos PDP chairman made of the tolling of Lekki-Epe Expressway. His childish claim that the money used in constructing the road had been realized is a petty and cheap politics to curry an unmerited sympathy he and his party do not merit.
“This lie and false claim also reeks with deliberate ignorance that flowers outside the technical and factual agreement on the concessioning of the road. We see his outburst as the mischievous trick to take advantage of Lagosians in his deliberate but futile effort to give life to a dead party. He has failed in this sly effort.
“Lagos APC laughs off the infantile boast of PDP touting itself as an alternative to the APC in Lagos; a lousy boast that had been consistently rejected by Lagosians. For a party with a notorious history of corruption and decay now posing as an alternative to an APC that has taken Lagos to the height of growth and development smacks of reckless flattery of its sordid history.
“We don’t consider PDP as an alternative in any way and for a party dying in the throes of its notoriety to make a childish claim of being an alternative to APC in Lagos amounts to taking chance with facts. If a National Leader of PDP, Godsdey Orubebe will just this week week, describe PDP as ‘a party that has crossed the bridge from pride to shame’, we consider it an insult that the remnants of the PDP should see such party as an alternative to a hyper-active party like APC in Lagos.
“Lagos APC advises Salvador and the rickety and sparse followers he has in the face of the dwindling fortunes of PDP all over the country to stop deceiving Lagosians and face the consequences of the corrupt 16 years of PDP’s leadership of the country. Luckily for Lagosians, even in the height of PDP’s deadly desperation to annex Lagos, Lagosians never considered it good for the state and its consistent progress in the period PDP demolished the country.
“We advise him to spare what is remaining of PDP to atone to Nigerians for the colossal disaster PDP was in our history. No twists and deliberate tricks will deceive Lagosians into seeing PDP as an alternative at a time it is dying for its destructive despoliation of Nigeria.”