PDP Challenges APC To Admit To Nigerians That Their Manifesto Is False And Unrealistic

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday described as lies and unrealistic, the various electoral promises made to Nigerians by the All Progressives Congress (APC) while seeking votes for its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.

The ruling party accused the APC of deceiving Nigerians repeatedly in a bid to get votes, saying the APC has formed the habit of "one day, one lie."

Olisa Metuh, National Publicity Secretary of the party, at a press conference held at the party's National Secretariat, said the PDP has performed exceptionally well with its present programmes for the nation, and that the APC can never match what the PDP has done for the nation.

Speaking on the promises being made to Nigerians by the APC, Metuh insisted that the offer of monthly stipend to unemployed youths by the APC in relation to its cost on the finances of the nation was unrealistic and unrealisable.

"The APC in one of its phantom promises said it would pay a stipend of N5,000 each to 25 million poor Nigerians monthly.

"This gives a total of N125 billion each month and N1.5 trillion every year.

"What is baffling is that the APC knows full well that this is not only unrealistic but also impracticable in a nation with an estimated budget of N4.69 trillion comprising recurrent and capital expenditures yet they continue to dish it out to unsuspecting citizens in a clear bid to mislead.

"Also, the deceitful tendency of the APC came to light in its promise to create 740,000 direct jobs in each of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT within one year while on the other hand promising to create one million jobs for Igbo youths also within the same period. We ask, which do we believe?

"The APC has also promised to provide free education, daily free meals for millions of Nigerian school children, free tertiary education, free health care and free houses to Nigerians.

"The opposition knows too well that this is unrealistic yet they prefer to brandish falsehood.

"The APC should explain to Nigerians how they would fulfill their promises with the prevailing 40 per cent drop in national income and dwindling oil price in the international market.

"These promises are therefore either bogus or part of their plot to subject the citizens to a harsh tax regime ostensibly to finance Bourdilon Drive and other personal interests, the real reason they desperately seek power.

"We therefore challenge the APC to come forward and admit before Nigerians that these promises are false and merely deceitful, if not, they should be bold enough to tell Nigerians that they are planning to skyrocket our personal income and company taxes if they ever get to power," he stated.

Metuh insisted that the PDP government is workers' and investors' friendly as the tax regime under its leadership is good for an average Nigerian while warning that the APC would impose terrible tax regime on the people to achieve a minute of its numerous promises, even if it would give it a try at all.

"Under the PDP-led administration, company tax is a maximum of 30 per cent of the profit whereas personal income tax hovers from 1 per cent for minimum wage earners to a maximum of 19 per cent for Nigerians earning up to N100 million.

"Can Nigerians afford a tax regime of 45 per cent company tax and 32 per cent personal income tax?

"Whilst we note the multiple tax regimes in APC states like Lagos State, we believe that Nigerians are not ready to bear the brunt of APC's harsh tax policy.

"If on the other hand APC decides to deny the planned imposition of a harsh tax regime, then they must accept they are guilty of fake campaign promises and deceitful manifesto," he stated.

Listing what he considered as the various lies told to Nigerians by the party, Metuh said
"Nigerians are still shocked at the discovery of the latest international fraud where the APC rehashed an old interview by its Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, as a fresh one, all in a bid to cover up a mismanaged international trip.

"This is coming on the heels of another shocking discovery that the APC's claim that its Presidential candidate visited Chibok turned out to be a hoax meant to deceive Nigerians, as he never did," he further stated.

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Reported By Rotimi Akinwumi,
For Daily Independent Newspaper
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