The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rubbished claims suggesting Nigeria has become a failed state under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The ruling party in a statement on Sunday by the Secretary of its Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe submitted that the Buhari administration is doing well in tackling the many challenges facing the nation.
It also accused the opposition particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of sponsoring the allegations that Nigeria is becoming a failed state under Buhari’s guidance.
The APC statement further listed some of the achievements, policies and programmes put in place by the current administration to cushion the impact of many challenges facing the country and also reposition the country’s economy.
“While naysayers and opposition partisans chorus their doomsday wishes for Nigeria, our dear country is nowhere close to becoming a failed state,†it declared.
The statement added that “The President Muhammadu Buhari government is not oblivious to the country’s challenges and is visibly and frontally addressing them.â€
“From the economy to security, it is easy to sum up Nigeria with some recent recorded security incidents and the economic downturn. However, this government has displayed the political will and capacity to contain any criminal/terrorist activity and return the economy to growth.â€
“President Buhari’s administration which sees the urgent need to have a better policing system for the country and is embarking on sweeping police reforms and supporting community policing, is definitely not governing a country close to becoming a failed state.â€
“Amid the COVID-19 induced economic slowdown, President Buhari’s administration which is stimulating the economy by preventing business collapse; supporting labour-intensive sectors such as agriculture; creating jobs through infrastructural investments in roads, rails, bridges; promoting manufacturing and local production at all levels to attain self-sufficiency in critical sectors of the economy, is definitely not governing a country close to becoming a failed state.â€
“President Buhari’s administration which is implementing one of the world’s largest and far-reaching social investment programmes targeting the very poor and other vulnerable groups, including women and persons living with disabilities through pro-poor spending, is definitely not governing a country close to becoming a failed state.â€
Akpanudoedehe then blamed the past administrations in the country for failing to appropriately deal with national issues and challenges during their time in power, adding that President Buhari is committed to righting the wrongs created by the nation’s past leaders.
“Nigerians will recall the ignoble pastime of past administrations which will rather bury its head in sand and spin conspiracies in the face of insecurity and engage in voodoo economics to hoodwink Nigerians while national resources were stolen and diverted to political cronies. Those days are gone.â€
“While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their hirelings engage in their unfortunate and apparently orchestrated attacks on the Armed Forces and other security services, the APC will rather support their efforts and charge them to do more to further degrade the capacity of terrorists and other criminal elements to attack soft targets,†he stated.
Earlier, Naija News reported Nigeria has been described as a failed state by the Coalition of Northern Groups under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari–led government.
The spokesperson of the group, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, claimed that economy issue, the inability of the government to provide public services are all indicators of a failed state.
Suleiman added that other issues are poverty, corruption, ineffective governance, crime, violence, forced displacement and sectarian and ethnic conflict which are all apparent.
He stated this during an interview with Punch in Kaduna State.
