21st September, 2012
Critics of the national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for attending the convention of the Democratic Party in the United States of America, USA, have been advised to stop playing to the gallery but rather look at the positive effect of the participation of the ACN leader at the event.
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has criticised Tinubu for attending the Democratic Party’s convention in the USA.
House of Representatives member for Ikeja Federal Constituency, James Abiodun Faleke; his counterpart in Oshodi Isolo Federal Constituency 2, Hakeem Abiodun Muniru; member of the Lagos State House of Assembly for Lagos Island State Constituency 2, Wahab Alawiye-King; his counterpart in Agege Constituency 1, Mudasiru Obasa and Chairman of Odiolowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Adeyemi Alli, all berated the ruling PDP as leaving the serious issue of governance and deliberating on an issue they are ignorant of.
“I wonder what the motive behind this campaign of calumny against Tinubu is. It is a known fact that the man was invited to the convention. It is only in Nigeria that the ruling party will make an issue of such invitation,” Faleke said.
The lawmaker, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Ethics and National Values, called on the PDP to concentrate on giving Nigerians the best administration rather dissipating their energy on mundane issues.
“Since the commencement of this democracy what have they done to make Nigerians happy? Virtually nothing! Supply and generation of electricity is deteriorating daily, the roads continue to go from bad to worse, unemployment rate continues to rise while Nigerians are groaning in poverty. Now, what moral right do they have to query Tinubu’s participation at the convention?” he asked.
According to Faleke, the ruling party should remove its arrogance and come to the former Governor of Lagos State to tap from the values and ideas he gained from attending the convention.
“They should stop being arrogant. They should bury their pride and come to Tinubu and tap from what he gained at the convention,” the former chairman of Ojodu LCDA said.
Muniru on his part was worried that what should be a collective gain for Nigeria is being turned into mundane political rivalry. “Rather than create unnecessary controversy, we should be celebrating Tinubu’s participation at the event. That convention allowed Asiwaju to interact with people and institutions which will be of benefit to Nigeria. The ruling party should tap from this rather than criticise Tinubu. This is cheap political propaganda,” he said.
The lawmaker called on the leadership of the ruling party to face governance and the onerous task of improving the lives of Nigerians rather than engage in cheap blackmail.
For Alawiye-King and Obasa, the leadership of the ruling PDP should bury their heads in shame. “They are being pushed around by inferiority complex. All we want to advise them is to fashion out workable plans that can reduce poverty in the country, bring foods to tables of our people, ensure regular supply of electricity and fix the bad roads in the country. It is when they do this that Nigerians can listen to them,” the two lawmakers said.
They said further: “We want to congratulate our leader for that successful outing and we hope the positive effect of that event will soon reflect on the states controlled by our great party.”
—Yisa Jamiu