The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has urged the presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to remain focused and not be distracted by comments from agents of opposition parties.
National President of the AYCF, Yerima Shettima, who gave the admonition while speaking to newsmen at the weekend in Kaduna said the Wazirin Adamawa has demonstrated that he is a formidable candidate as he has already been making intelligent contributions in the search for solution to the nation’s present level of unprecedented hardship.
He said, “All those within the ruling APC who are attacking Atiku are trying to divert attention from the dismal performance of the APC at the Federal, State and even Local Government levels, where stagnation has taken over the dividends of democracy”.
Shettima said recent reports about Atiku’s plan to cut down on the price of petroleum products should be commended for addressing what would be of benefit to the common man.
He said, “We support any effort to reduce the cost of living for Nigerians and we will pray for him to succeed on this too”.
Shettima also assured the former VP that he would massively mobilize support for the PDP presidential candidate in the North.
Atiku’ll reduce petrol price to N87 per litre – PDP
The PDP had on Thursday pledged Atiku’s readiness to work out a pricing template that will immediately crash the pump price of fuel in the country, upon his election, saying the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration has failed in this regard since it came on board in 2015.
This is just as the party condemned increase in the official prices of diesel and kerosene, stating that such will bring more economic pressure on the already impoverished nation, as most businesses and homes across the country heavily depend on these products for sustenance.
The party had in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan said that it has been in high level talks with top international players in the oil and gas industry, adding that its engagement has shown that the appropriate pump price of fuel in the Nigerian market, under the current subsidy regimes of the Buhari Presidency, should be within the borders of N87 to N90 per liter as against the N145 currently being charged.
It noted that with the current price template of crude oil in the international market, the Buhari administration has no justification to keep the pump price of fuel at N145 per liter and watch Nigerians groan under the weight of high prices.
The statement read: “The PDP notes that for every N145 paid for a liter of fuel, the Presidency cabal diverts a hidden N58 which Nigerians have continued to pay since the fuel price was increased from N87 to presumably subsidized cost of N145.
“Apart from failing to account for the over N1.4 trillion allegedly siphoned through sleazy oil subsidy deals, the Buhari-led federal government is burdened to account for the over N3.49 trillion stolen under the hidden N58 per liter of fuel on the over 50 million daily domestic consumption estimated in the last three years. Oil price hits $82 per barrel as demand surges.”
Meanwhile, the PDP has warned the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, not to draw himself out by joining in the smear campaign and unsavoury comments against Atiku.
The party was reacting to a statement credited to the former Lagos state governor in which he was quoted to have said the PDP flag bearer could strategise in the jungle ahead of the elections but that he won’t win the election.
“Asiwaju, as an elder, should not reduce his pedigree by engaging in indecorous utterances which has become the trademark of his party.
“It is also instructive to state that a person of Asiwaju status can conduct his political activities without recourse to indecent language that is lacking in respect for a personality, such as Atiku, whom Nigerians, across board, have generally resolved to be their next President.
“For the avoidance of doubt, despite the ludicrous disposition of APC and its leaders towards the 2019 election campaign, the repositioned PDP and our presidential candidate remain committed to our promise to focus on solutions to the myriad of problems facing our people and transform their lives for the better.
“The PDP cautions Asiwaju Tinubu to redirect the discourse of his party to productive issues instead of this unbridled resort to lies, deception, beguilement, propaganda, smear campaign and uncouth language, which Nigerians now resent,” the party said in a statement.
Daily Trust/Vanguard
