The Peoples Democratic Party recorded numerous achievements that cut across all sectors of the nation’s economy during its 16 years of governance of Nigeria, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, has said.
Metuh made the statement on Monday in Abuja while briefing newsmen as part of activities to mark the 17th anniversary of the party.
He said: “We take responsibility for the genuine blames attributed to the PDP.
“The ones orchestrated by the opposition we cannot take responsibility because they were completely lies.”
While expressing gratitude to Nigerians for the opportunity given the party to rule Nigeria for 16 years, Metuh called on Nigerians to continue to support the PDP.
He said the call was important as the PDP would relentlessly pursue and defend values and tenets that would ensure Nigeria’s unity, stability and prosperity.
He said: “In spite our temporary electoral setback in the last elections, the PDP is a success story.
“Unarguably, the PDP is still the only pan-Nigeria party, wholly committed to the Nigerian project, accommodating all national interests and whose only agenda remains the unity, stability and prosperity of Nigeria and its people.”
Metuh said the PDP stood tall in history as the first political party in Nigeria to nurture and sustain democratic system of government and stable polity uninterrupted for 16 years.
He said: “This did not come by accident, but through meticulous application by successive PDP administrations of policies as enshrined in the party’s ideology and manifesto within the ambit of the laws.”
The PDP spokesman explained that meticulous execution of the party’s deliberate policies resulted in significant achievements in all sectors of the polity and economy.
He said while healthcare became more affordable and accessible, education at all levels received attention, including the re-establishment of the National Open University of Nigeria.
He said 14 new universities were established by the party to ensure that every state has federal university, in addition to the Almajiri schools in the northern parts for underprivileged Nigerian children.
He said the party investigated and prosecuted Nigerians found to be involved in criminal acts, adding that the PDP government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo established the two major anti-corruption agencies.
He said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission were established to function without undue interference.
Metuh added that successive PDP administrations opened more businesses, including the telecommunication, transport, aviation, hospitality, education, agriculture, the media, automobile, real estate, oil and gas and food processing among others.
“By 2015, the PDP has grown our nation’s economy to the largest in Africa and one of the fastest growing in the world,” he said.
NAN.