Afenifere Chieftain and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State has urged Nigerians to reject the All Progressives Congress (APC) and support the President Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP Federal Government, saying; “Nigerians should be reminded that it was General Mohammed Buhari and his military junta that truncated democracy in Nigeria and disrupted the country’s development 20 years ago.”
Adeyeye, who said Nigeria, especially democratic governance would have developed beyond how it is now if Buhari had not toppled the Alhaji Shehu Shagari-led government, declared that; “God won’t allow these retrogressive elements in the APC to destroy Nigeria the way they did on December 31, 1983.”
He said; “it is on record that the Alhaji Shehu Shagari’s government started the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill and was almost completing it before Buhari led others to overthrow the government. The dream of Ajaokuta was killed by that military coup led by Buhari, and all efforts to revive it by the Jonathan-led government have been impeded by unresolved court actions.
“In Lagos State, the Alhaji Lateef Jakande’s government had commenced the Metroline Transportation System, but what did the Buhari-led military government do? It truncated the project and went on to pay $78 million compensation to the contractor at the expense of Lagos tax payers.
“Before the 1983 military coup, the Jakande’s Lagos State Government only needed the Federal Government to guarantee a N100 million loan and the Shagari-led government was ready to do it, but Buhari, in his shallow mindedness cancelled the laudable project and paid $78 million compensation to the contractor.
“If Jakande was going to give Lagosians Metro Line in 1983, and he (Jakande) could build Lagos State Secretariat; Alausa, build several low cost houses, constructed several roads, including the Lekki-Epe expresway, established Lagos State University, Lagos State Polytechnic, Lagos State Television, built the permanent site of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, among several other landmark achievements, shouldn’t we begin to ask ourselves what would have happened to Lagos State in terms of development if Jakande had ruled the State for eight years?
“Now we have a Dr Goodluck Jonathan-led federal government that has demonstrated strong commitment to the return of the country lost glories, these same elements, who put us where we are today are telling us that because President Jonathan is from a minority Ijaw tribe, he must not be allowed to have a second term that is allowed by the Constitution if he desires.
“I have looked at their arguments and I can say it pointedly that their main reason for opposing President Jonathan is not lack of developmental strides, but because a minority Ijaw man, from whose land the crude oil that sustains Nigeria as a nation comes from, does not have the rights to rule the country.
“For this selfish reason, Buhari is now comfortable in the company of someone like Baba Bisi Akande that he (Buhari) jailed in 1984 for corruption, and I ask; in the eyes of Buhari, is Baba Akande no longer corrupt?
“It has therefore become necessary for Nigerians to be mindful of these elements in the APC, bearing in mind that it was exactly 20 years ago that their northern leader, Buhari destroyed democratic governance in Nigeria and truncated the developments that were going on then. We must not allow them to draw us back now for their own selfish gains, and I am sure God won’t let them.”
