Former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, has stated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is fortunate not to have been probed by successive All Progressives Congress (APC) administrations.
Responding to the PDP’s recent comments following an opposition party’s victory in Ghana’s presidential election, Okechukwu, an APC chieftain, accused the PDP of a legacy of poor governance and corruption during its 16 years in power.
PDP spokesperson Debo Ologunagba had claimed that Ghana’s election results signaled an impending end to the APC’s rule in Nigeria, calling for a return to good governance under the PDP in 2027.
Okechukwu countered these remarks in a statement, emphasizing that the PDP should be thankful for the “statesmanship” of former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who refrained from launching probes into the party’s tenure.
He outlined several alleged failings of the PDP era, including:
- Corruption in the privatization of Nigeria’s electricity sector, a key component of industrialization.
- The rigging of the 2007 general elections, which even then-President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua acknowledged.
- The controversial sale of legislative and ministerial quarters, which continues to strain public funds.
- Neglect of the $23 billion Greenfield Refinery project, which could have reduced reliance on imported petroleum products and alleviated economic hardships.
Okechukwu also highlighted breaches of the PDP’s rotational presidency agreement and disregard for its constitutionally mandated zoning system.
He concluded, “PDP should not insult Nigerians’ sensibilities by assuming we’ve forgotten their 16 years of impunity. They should instead thank Almighty God that no major probes have been initiated against them.”
The APC stalwart asserted that many Nigerians struggle to differentiate between the two parties due to the lingering effects of the PDP’s governance.
