By Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, has chided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government for leaving empty treasury and bad governance for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.
Speaking when he presented the Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Senator Elisha Abbo, to the APC national leadership at the party’s secretariat for formal introduction on Thursday, Senator Lawan, insisted that patriotism is PDP leaders joining a performing party like the APC.
In his remarks during the presentation of Abbo, he said: “It is our delight to have eight ex PDP leaders defecting to APC. I want to commend you Mr. Chairman for sincerely steering the ship of our party since you were given that responsibility by the NEC of our party. I want to commend you and the committee for doing excellently well for reconciling most of our chapters and for brining some of our people who had left the party before of one grievance or another.
“We believe that we haven’t see anything yet, we will see many more coming from the opposition party. Only last week, the Governor of Ebonyi state left the PDP for the APC.
“Yesterday, our brother, our colleague, the youngest Senator in the current dispensation, having consulted very widely with his people at home decided to leave the PDP for the APC.
“This is what we expect from leaders, when you see a government trying very hard with so little to ensure development in our country, in our communities and societies. The best thing to do is to be part of effort and that is patriotism. It is what we expect from leaders. When you see a government trying very hard with so little to ensure development in our country, in our communities and societies, the best you can do is to be part of that effort. And that is patriotism. The people should always be at the centre and focus of what we do.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has had a date with history before… we came in in 2015, we inherited everything but poor governance but President Buhari-led came in with determination and focus to ensure that this country works for citizens. That government resources are prudently and economically utilised and applied for the people.
“Though we inherited empty treasury, the price of crude went down so badly, yet the little resources we started with provided lots of infrastructure and services to this country. So, to many right thinking politicians, when you see prudence, sincerity, purposefulness in leadership the best thing to do is not to be left behind but to join forces with the said leadership for the benefits of the people you represent or lead,” he quipped.
Speaking further, he said: “We want to commend out brother, Senator Abbo for taking the right decision at the right time. Nigerians need every hand on deck. This ship is going to reach the final destination by the grace of God.
“We will continue to be committed to making Nigeria better irrespective of the resources available to us. We had our good days in revenue, but those days were bad days in performance. Now it is reverse, our revenue are so low, in fact it has not been this bad and yet infrastructural development in Nigeria is unprecedented.
“Nigeria has become a huge construction site with projects going on. With so little all over now infrastructure sites from the East to the west, from the North to the South.
“Adamawa state is an APC state, the accident that happened to create what is today is ruling Adamawa will have to be address. By the grace of God, by 2023, Adamawa should be long to the rightful place it deserves.
“Let me be very specific and emphatic, Adamawa deserves an APC Governor, APC National Assembly, APC state Assembly,” he said.
Speaking after receiving membership flag, Senator Abbo said he has not only left darkness for light, but also a repented sinner, who plotted APC’s fall during the 2019 general elections.
“I want to commend the PDP members that moved with me from the darkness to light into the Secretariat of the ruling party where justice and truth rains supreme.
“I said something in the letter I wrote to the Senate President on Wednesday. We know how difficult the revenue that accrued to government yet with this little money, Mr President still have the poor and most vulnerable people at heart. They are about 17 welfare programmes by the Mr President.
“Mr President, Adamawa has always been APC. We are the one that made it tilt the other side. Forgive us because we are now born again. We know what we did and we will undo what we did before. In 2023, APC presidential candidate will win Adamawa state. APC will also win the governorship seat in Adamawa, the three Senatorial seats, eight House of Representatives and 25-member State Assembly. This is because the people are with the President and we are APC flesh, blood, bones and marrow. We will not disappoint you,” he said.
On why he is defecting to the APC, he said: “In the first place, the reason everybody should join politics is to serve the people. The essence of government is to shield the poor masses and ensure justice.
“My main mission joining the APC is because I have seen justice, I have seen development and I have seen desire for the leadership at the highest peak to sacrifice their personal comfort just to make the poor people to feel good. So, I am in the APC to deliver, I am into the APC to help the people,” he said.
In his commenting after presenting membership flag, the Chairman APC Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, commended senator Abbo for joining the party at the right time.