Against the backdrop of biting hardship, deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, on Monday lambasted the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Muhammadu Buhari over the sorry state of the economy and a now valueless naira.
Mr Ekweremadu, speaking at the Peoples Democratic Party’s national stakeholders’ meeting held at the Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, decried the worsening economic conditions of the country. In his view, “all APC promises had been kept in the reverse order.”
He was quoted by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, as saying, “They told us that one US dollar would be one naira when they take over. Has that happened? Today, our currency is the worst currency in the whole of Africa. Is that the type of democracy we looked forward to? I can see a situation where the price of oil is going up and the value of naira is going down. What type of economics is that?”
But Ekweremadu urged PDP faithful to remain strong as the party would “work with Nigerians to restore true democracy and hope to our people.”
The Senate President said, “I believe that with determination and sticking together, we will triumph and Nigeria will be better for it.”
Mr. Ekweremadu also condemned the politicization of vital institutions of democracy and radical decline of democratic freedoms in Nigeria. He regretted the sealing of the International Conference Centre, Abuja, the earlier announced venue of the meeting, by the security agencies, saying that “such flagrant manipulation of critical institutions of democracy is not only dangerous,
but bad news for the nation’s democracy.”
The Senate President is among the few respected members of the upper legislative chamber. He wields lots of influence in his party, PDP, torn at the moment into two factions due to a power tussle between Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Mr. Ali Sheriff for control of the opposition party.
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