APC led FG berated for not living up to expectations of Nigerians
By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been berated for not living up to the expectations of Nigerians, thereby subjecting them to untold hardship and harsh living conditions.
The assertion was made by the Bauchi State Governor and Chairman, PDP Governors Forum, Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed,
when former Women leaders of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Inna Chiroma paid him a visit in his office.
The Governor bemoaned the current spate of governance in the country as being led by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Bala Mohammed declared that, “The Federal Government is not even working, it’s not working because most people are complaining.”
According to him, “Today we have about three budgets on the ground in the National Assembly. The 2024 budget, only 30% has been implemented. Yes, and 2025 is 0% of implementation. And we are talking of going to 2026. This is the kind of government we have. Some of us know so much, but we keep quiet. Not because we have compromised, but because we don’t want to disparage the nation.”
Bala Mohammed stressed that,”But, we are really in for it. It is time for us in the PDP to come together to take over the Federal Government, which your husband, (late Adamu Chiroma) was in the forefront of creating the party. And at that time, there was no personal interest. They created the platform, and they allowed somebody from somewhere to come and take the presidency. And he did very well.”
“We have to defend our nationalism, our patriotism, our Nigerian-ness, so that we can bring good governance. Certainly impunity, and tribalism, and so on and so forth, that has been the thing, are showing up today,” he added.
The Governor added that, “Some of us are patriots. We benefited from people other than those that come from our geographical areas. And that’s why we have transcended above tribe and religion. And even here, we include minorities. Not only the vulnerable women and children, but minority interests in our system.”
He then told the Women,”We want you to go around and preach peace, closing ranks, and revising those doubting promises. The PDP has come a long way. Yes, we have issues here and there, but they are not insurmountable. We are going for a NEC, and we’re going for a National Convention to elect leaders. We should all come forward.”
He stressed that,”The women should step out and look for positions other than women leaders in the national convention. Don’t sit behind and say you are not concerned. We’re ready to give you allowances and leverages and latitude so that you can actualize your aspirations and provide leadership because even from the micro-unit of the family, you know leadership.”
The Governor further praised the women saying,”Going down to local and state levels, you have been doing very well. We want to see you, if you can do something differently so that at least, we provide Nigerians good leadership.”
According to him, “We are praying for Nigeria. We thank you most sincerely for taking time at this age and time to come and meet us and to see that we are supposed to do.”
Bala Mohammed reminded the Women that, “You are coming here, as we said, to preach to already converted person, who believe in the affirmative action that is globally acceptable and implemented. 35% affirmative action is captured in Section 1, Section 67 of our PDP Constitution. And it is clear, definitely the women folk have been doing very well.”
“If I take each and every one of you, you have contributed positively to the growth and development, not only of our party, but the country at large. During my career as a public servant, and later as a Minister that held Abuja for 5 years, and now here in Bauchi as Governor, I have come to recognize that womenfolk are to be trusted and they are reliable and dependable,” he added.
The Governor added that, “As a grassroots voter, a politician that wins elections at the balloting point, I know that women contribute almost 75% of the success of any candidate in any election. And that is why, irrespective of what is provided in our party constitution, and of course the Beijing Declaration, we always look unto women for reliability and for inclusion, because definitely, they contribute a lot in terms of success or failure. And they are not really driven by material things.”
He praised women, saying,”They always stood on the queue, ensure that they vote, and their votes are counted. And they are great mobilizers. When you give them the responsibility of MDAs, they are very, very passionate. I didn’t know you were coming for affirmative action, but I called all the men that were here. It’s not an act of juridism. But we have Six Commissioners in my cabinet. And they are doing very well, all of them. The one that is still in charge of our budgeting and planning is a woman. And so on and so forth.”
He added that,”And of course, we have deviated or graduated from the point of only giving Women Affairs to women. We give them men’s work, and they do better. And so, we are very happy to welcome you to Bauchi.”
“And to tell you that, definitely you are coming here to preach to the combated, and the party structure will make sure everyone in our local council, we have three women that are elected as Councillors,” he assured.
He however said that, “Sometimes, we find it difficult to get those women at the local level because of traditional inhibition. I remember in some of the local governments, we had to go out of our way. We could only get two because the husbands would not allow them to go and step forward. And these are the kind of inhibitions that we are working very hard to prevent.”
He added that,”And of course, a lot of insinuations here and there. At the party working committee level, we make sure that women are included, not only as women leaders, but as the occupying position, the treasurer, all these kind of positions that were for men. And they are doing very well. I want to assure you that we will continue to preach to ourselves.”
The Governor added that,”We are speaking to the Governors Forum. We are working hard to ensure that we do what we call a peer review mechanism, where we understand all this, and we are voting for each other. If you go to Oyo, you see a lot of women. When you go to Adamawa, a Woman is even the Deputy Governor. So, we are doing very well as a party. What we need from you is understanding. We have a lot of issues. Let us bring ourselves together.”
“As the mother of the party now, in whose loins we are born as a party, we urge you to remain rugged and steadfast, and ensure that you bring all of us together. Even those that are running away to go to other places for tea, tea running, there is not running there. There are no greener pastures anywhere other than in PDP,”he concluded.
Speaking earlier, former Women Leader of the PDP, Hajiya Inna Chiroma, stated that,”We are the founding mothers of the People’s Democratic Party. Your Excellency, our concern has always been for this party to get back to power. When we were in power, everyone knows what Nigeria looks like. Today, everybody is degraded.”
She stated that,”But since PPD lost the election in 2015, Nigerians are now looking back and saying, wow, we should go back to PDP. But our concern as women of this party, we also need to add value to our campaign structures. If PDP must win elections squarely, then women must be involved. Women must be given their rightful places in the party structure.”
“Your Excellency, it came to our minds that we need to see our leaders of this party. And as far as we are concerned, you are one of the very, very strong leaders of this party and Chairman of our Governors Forum. So we felt that it is right for us to come and see you and complain to you about our problems that is affecting us in the PDP,” She said.
According to her, “Even though, we are very loyal members of this party, but then, we need to be carried along. Your Excellency, the party’s constitution is the only constitution of the political party that has the 35% affirmative action. All the other parties copied it from PDP.”
Inna Chiroma who was a one time Minister of Women Affairs, added that, “I was the National Woman Leader of this party and since then, we have been pleading that the 35% affirmative action must be actualized. And every time we have meetings with our Governors, they will tell us that it will be included in the constitution of the party. But then how do we actualize it? 35% is 35%. How do we get it done? Because the statement says that 35% must be reserved for women in the PDP constitution. It is there. But how do we actualize it?”
“So, we now sat down and did our own calculations. And we said if we have this number of members of the National Working Committee, why don’t you reserve the 35% from there? Let us see how it goes. And we now calculated and we came up with what we think should be done to bring up this idea of 35% in the PDP constitution. Therefore, your excellency, we are here pleading to you, pleading with you, as our leader, as somebody also who is gender sensitive, we regard you as a He for She,” Inna Chiroma added.
She stressed that,”We ensure that our 35% is actualised, as is in the constitution, and not only that, we also see to protect it. Women, we are there for the party. When election comes, we have to come there for the party. We are the people that will go there and insist that we must vote. We are there to ensure that you are voted for. Your Excellency, we must be paid back. And how do we get this? It has to be in the constitution. Women are really, really giving their right to take places.”
She added that,”And we also have to appreciate you, Your Excellency, for what you are doing in the State. If everybody in this country did what you are doing here, we would not come here to complain. Your Excellency, your example is an example that other states need to copy. Therefore, I am here to present this letter to you, Your Excellency, to help us.”
The delegation included members of the Board of Trustees, and former Women Affairs Ministers, Environment and BOT members, led by the Mother of the PDP, Hajiya Inna Ciiroma.
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