The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the Presidency to stop appropriating the achievements of the National Assembly and listing them as those of President Muhammadu Buhari.
PDP says the recent attempt by the Presidency to ascribe credit to the President for the recent amendments to the constitution, particularly the granting of financial autonomy to state assemblies and judiciaries, was despicable.
The party, in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Kola Ologbondinyan, notes that neither the Presidency nor the President himself, made any input in support of these amendments.
Equally appalling, it added, is that the Presidency is still listing the passage of the “Not Too Young to Run” law as an achievement of the President even when he had no input whatsoever in the initiative.
The party adds: “It is instructive to note that none of the amendments stem from any executive bill and that the Buhari Presidency has never initiated any programme to enhance the course of governance in our country in the last three years.
“Furthermore, Nigerians already know that the Buhari administration has not implemented a single project or programme in any part of the country in the last three years of governance, but always resorting to lies, blame passing, beguilments, deception and contrivance.
“Instead of seeking ways to mitigate the situation, Mr. President’s handlers are subjecting him to more public ridicule of commissioning projects executed by other leaders such as his embarrassing commissioning of a regular bus stop constructed by Lagos state and a water borehole in Jigawa while posturing for photo-ops to hoodwink Nigerians.
“In fact, this clear attempt by the Presidency to claim credit for the achievement of the National Assembly has further confirms PDP’s earlier alert to Nigerians of plans by the Presidency to dish out fictitious achievements and false performance indices to deceive Nigerians ahead of 2019 general election.”
The PDP commended the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly for their resilience in enhancing the country’s democratic practice, which it claims sas consolidated by successive PDP administrations, despite the unrelenting assault on the institution of the legislature by the Buhari administration.
The PDP charged the Buhari Presidency and thd All Progressives Congress (APC) to end “their proclivity for deception as such gimmicks cannot save them in 2019.”