AFTER observing his Eid-el-Kabir prayers in Daura, Katsina State, President Buhari in expansive mood told reporters his government inherited nothing from the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule. “I want Nigerians to realise that what this government inherited after 16 years of the PDP government was no savings, no infrastructure, no power, no rail, no road, and no security,” said the president. Then he went on self-righteously to recount the progress his government had made. Many commentators and PDP spokesmen have taken him to task over the statement, which they describe as inaccurate and mischievous. But the president has moved on, refusing to entertain any clarification.
As a party, the APC is often quick to join issues with critics and the opposition over claims and counter-claims of achievements and failures. This time, on the needless inheritance controversy, the party has waffled. The fact is that no one can defend the president; and it is shocking he failed to appreciate the significance of the words he deployed to explain what he inherited from the PDP. He probably meant to say that though he inherited a number of things, really, they were so insignificant that they amounted to zilch. Yet, even this would be a hyperbole.
The PDP has little of great significance to boast about. Their 16 years in office undoubtedly saw a number of remarkable achievements, starting from ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency to the Goodluck Jonathan government. But there was little foundational about what they did, nothing future generations can point to in awe and reverence. The PDP merely tolerated democracy, barely acknowledged the rule of law, and struggled to execute legacy projects. But despite not justifying the huge revenue the country enjoyed under them, the PDP government nonetheless built roads, rails and other infrastructure. President Buhari and his party will indeed struggle to match the PDP in longevity and achievements; for even that which costs them nothing, such as democracy, they have made heavy weather of nurturing it.
The 16 years inheritance
