APC Government, rudderless, ship without a captain – Aminu Tambuwal

Abiodun OBA

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said the nation has been put in the current hardship condition “by the government of the APC, that is rudderless and a ship without a captain.”

Tambuwal made this known during a courtesy visit to the former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Olabode George, ahead of the party primary.

The PDP presidential aspirant who lamented the increased division among Nigerians along ethnic and religious lines, said that insecurity and other challenges bedevilling the country would have been taken care of if former President Goodluck Jonathan had restructured the country before handing over to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Tambuwal promised to resolve the issue of ethnic and religious crisis, after he gets the mantle of leadership in 2023.

His words: “We know the current situation of Nigeria, there is sharp division along religious lines, along ethnic lines. The first line has been overstretched, with an abject level of poverty. All indices are very wrong. The economy is in shambles, infrastructure decay and power do not at all exist. And commerce and trade are going down. So that today, there is no middle class. Unfortunately, we have found ourselves in this situation that we have been put into by the government of the APC, that is rudderless and a ship without a captain.”

On why he joined the presidential race, Tambuwal who is the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum said: “I am in the race because I believe that this is the right time now that our party has successfully settled the issue of zoning in a very ingenious way. They have done so without jettisoning the issue of rotation in the party constitution but rely on exigencies of the time, force majeure that all of us should go in, 15 of us and that means you have a variety to choose from.

“I am not just coming to the public space. I have been around for some time and my conduct is known to the public, my character is known to the public.”

Also speaking in Akure, Ondo State while canvassing for votes from the PDP delegates ahead of the primary, blamed the former President for not allowing the amendment of the country’s constitution, and restructuring before leaving office in 2015.

Tambuwal said: “Restructuring the country would have helped deepen the nation’s democracy if the former president had listened to the agitations of Nigerians.

“I understand the debate about restructuring, the fiscal federalism, and the devolution of power. I know all of these issues and understand them very well.

“As Speaker of the House of Representatives, we attempted but unfortunately former President Goodluck Jonathan did not sign that constitutional amendment that could have possibly addressed some of these challenges being raised in terms of restructuring, devolution of power among others.”

While welcoming the Presidential hopeful to his office in Ikoyi- Lagos, Chief Bode George said Tambuwal has chosen the right time to come out for the presidential race.