The President of the 9th Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has attacked the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Federal Government under former President Goodluck Jonathan, for leaving an 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 National Secretariat, for formal introduction, on Thursday, Senator Lawan defined “patriotism”, as PDP Leaders joining a performing party like the APC.
His words: “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 have not seen 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, poor governance, but President Buhari 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 providing 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.
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.”
