PDP chides Buhari on ‘Change begins with me’

Following the recent “Change begins with me” campaign launched by President Muhammadu Buhari, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party has said that the initiative had portrayed Nigeria as a “bad” country in the eyes of the rest of the world.
The PDP argued that the campaign was a confirmation that Nigerians around the world were so badly behaved that they needed to undergo such a reorientation and rehabilitation programme.
The Publicity Secretary of the Lagos State chapter of the PDP, Gani Taofik, who spoke on the President’s new campaign, said he had been receiving negative comments about the initiative as well as condemnation of the programme from outside the country.
Taofik said that the campaign had continued to receive condemnation from even people outside Nigeria.
“Change begin begins with me” that President Buhari launched denotes that things are really bad for Nigerians, and also showed that we Nigerians are bad citizens across the world. On this newly launched programme, I know the number of friends abroad that had called me that the project will affect Nigerians abroad because it means that every Nigerian needs rehabilitation, being a worst character already,” he said.
The Lagos PDP spokesman also argued that President Buhari should have continued with the policies laid down by former president Goodluck Jonathan, especially the campaign on ‘Good people, great nation’.
“Instead of this new campaign, which I see as a strategy for 2019, he’s supposed to carry on with the policies of Goodluck, especially on the campaign of ‘good people great nation,” he said.
Assessing the performance of the Buhari administration, the Lagos PDP spokesperson, however, admitted that it had scored a pass mark on the war against Boko haram insurgency.
“Though Buhari’s government has destabilized Boko Haram, they have not done anything worthy of praise for this country. Look at how much we left fuel for him, and look at the price for a litter today. None of the promises made to Nigerians has ever been fulfilled. Is this the change Nigerians were expect ing? The campaign of change is derogatory. It’s a mobilization towards 2019”.
Taofik added that President Buhari’s political ambition would have remained a dream but for PDP’s internal wrangling, which led to its loss of the 2015 elections.
“Nigerians’ vote never won Buhari the seat he is occupying today but the internal wrangling that erupted and spoilt show for the party (PDP),” he said.
He, however, urged Nigerians to persevere under the Buhari government until 2019 when the PDP would regain power.