Odigie-Oyegun accuses PDP of dividing Nigerians along religion, ethnic lines
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Wednesday accused the Peoples Democratic Party of using religion to divide Nigerians, pointing out that such portends great danger for the nation.
Chief Odigie-Oyegun specifically declared that no nation has ever developed using religion as a divisive or campaign tool.
The APC National Chairman stated this in his address at the 2014 Extraordinary Non-Elective National Convention of the party in Abuja.
The high point of the convention was the formal admission of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, into the the fold of the APC.
According to Odigie-Oyegun: “Just because they want to win elections at all cost, they have pitched Christians against Muslims, Southerners against Northerners, and one ethnic group against the other.
“In particular, the use of religion to divide our people portends great danger.
“No nation has ever developed using religion as a divisive or campaign tool.
“And ours will not be different.
“The problems we face, be it insecurity, corruption, poverty, lack of infrastructure or economic growth without development, will not be solved by a religionist but by patriotic and competent leadership.
“What our long-suffering people want to know is who will provide them with security, improved welfare, uninterrupted power supply, jobs, modern health care, world class education and modern infrastructure, just to name a few.
“Now, the only reason the PDP has resorted to dangerous, divisive politics is because they have nothing to showcase to Nigerians to convince them to return the PDP to power at the centre come next year.
“In all spheres of life, Nigeria is worse off today than it was in 1999, when the PDP first assumed office. In the area of security and welfare of the citizenry, the main reason for the existence of any government, the scorecard of the PDP-controlled Federal Government is zero.”
Speaking on the defection of Tambuwal to APC, Odigie-Oyegun said that the speaker’s defection is “one of the most pleasant things I have done as national chairman of APC”.
He explained that for the period Tambuwal’s served as speaker, “he had been the bridge between the ruling party and the opposition”.
He pointed out that on issues of the economy, security, health, education, tourism, technology and even management of the doctrine of separation of power, the PDP performed abysmally.
The APC National Chairman advised Nigerians to reject the PDP government.
Speaking further on what he called the failings of the PDP, Odigie-Oyegun blamed the ruling party along ethnic and religious lines than at any other time in her history.
He said: “More Nigerians have died needlessly between 1999 and now than at any other time in the country’s history, minus during the unfortunate civil war of 1967 to 1970.”