APC’ll fight corruption, waste – Tinubu

Tinubu

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, has said the decision of the aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party to join the APC will change Nigeria’s political landscape forever.

Tinubu, who said this in an interview with the Aljazeera Television, on Wednesday, added that the party would fight corruption and waste in government. A script of the interview was obtained by The PUNCH, in Abuja, on Wednesday.

He expressed confidence that Nigeria’s political landscape had changed forever and for good.

In response, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said time will tell which political party was truly popular.

According to Tinubu, the decision by the governors and their supporters to join the opposition APC has tilted the scale and balance of power in favour of the opposition.

He argued that Nigeria was now moving from imperialism to what he called proper democracy.

Tinubu said, “This development will start reshaping the landscape of politics in this country forever. Not for us only but for generation unborn.

“And the future of this country to take its position as a leader in Africa and not just as a well populated country that is big and directionless.

“Nigeria has tried in the past to achieve stable democracy. Like other African countries, we have had our share of military rule and a bit of democratic rule.

“But we are blessed with human and material resources which have not been harnessed for the welfare of the mass of the people in this country.”

The APC leader observed that the sophistication, honesty, trust, transparency which were essential ingredients of the electoral process had been absent in the Nigerian system.

Speaking further about the defects of the Nigerian political system, Tinubu said the balance of power was currently tilted in favour of the incumbency.

He noted that Nigerians had never seen a group that would have a common focus and put patriotism as the cornerstone of their guiding principle.

“This is a party that will put people at the forefront of their cause in participating in politics. Never has there been a group that will focus on the welfare of the Nigerian citizenry and fight corruption and waste in governance.

“There are many areas that this new APC alliance and effort will unveil. We will ensure that we have credibility in the voting system, the character, commitment of our people – the value that you want to pass the torch to the coming generation on democracy,” he said.

Tinubu, who is a former Lagos State governor, observed that the perception of having so many governors working together in one party and platform alone would encourage people to share ideas as well as values and boost their confidence in the electoral system.

He also stressed that a shift in the power equilibrium would rekindle the expectation of the world that the nation’s opposition did not only exist on paper but that it was physically present in Nigeria.

He accused the ruling party of systematically encouraging corruption, lacking care and focus on the primary things that would develop the country.

He expressed sadness that Nigeria had kept missing the bull’s eye in the critical path to a democratic success.

However, Metuh said it was laughable for the opposition party which was the “home of corruption” to  accuse the PDP administration.

Metuh said “2015 is just by the corner it’s not too far. Talk is cheap, they have played all their cards and done all they think they can do, time will tell who has more number of followers.”