While acknowledging its human  frailties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) insisted at the weekend that the party’s 16 years of mistake remained far less than the calamity of the last two  and half years of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in multiple dimensions.

A group, known as the National Volunteers for Lamido, which made the assertion in a statement issued in Abuja, noted that whatever the PDP did, it left  the scene over two years ago and that exit provided Nigerians the opportunity  to gauge the standard of performance. “From the economy, foreign relations where an APC government has decided  to make caricature of the country, its leadership and people, security, wage  theft, misapplication of resources and the lack of vision at all levels. This is total  disaster.”

In the statement, signed by its National Coordinator, Umar Danjani Hadeja,  tgroup also accused the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu  of deliberately choosing  to feed  the public with falsehood and obvious inaccuracies, deliberate  misinformation, and even mischief bordering on denial and selective amnesia.

It was reacting to  Garba’s attempted response to a recent interview granted by a former governor of  Jigawa state, Alhaji Sule Lamido to the Sun  Newspaper, which was published  on Saturday, November  11,  2017 wherein he fielded questions on his presidential ambition and the state of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as some snippets on reasoned insights on President Muhammadu Buhari’s  leadership style, the All Progressives Congress (APC) government and the future of Nigeria and the place  of her youth.

> The group  particularly lampooned the Presidential  Spokesperson for relishing in quackery whenever he ventures  into the laborious attempts at rebuttals or rejoinders, more often, with scant  regard for the truth. “Clearly, Garba’s attempted response to the said Sule Lamido interview is yet  another classic example of the PR disaster and liability that he now  represents for the Buhari administration. Surely, we would care less for this  misfortune of an appointee of Mr. President who is fishing and scavenging  desperately for “stuff” that would make him look useful in a job he clearly does  not know how to do. His brazen and intellectually lazy import-substitution  mission for issues never raised in the interview in the effort to tar Alhaji Sule  Lamido with a dirty brush is at best, mischievous, unprofessional and a  damning verdict on Garba’s.”

> While describing the attempt by  Garba Shehu  “to tar Alhaji Sule  Lamido with a dirty brush” as mischievous, unprofessional and a damning verdict on the presidential spokesman,  the group also expressed concern over the feeble and failed attempt to address or “attack” the facts of the  matter raised in the Sule Lamido interview.

It  took a swipe at the presidential spokesman for  falsely accusing Alhaji Sule  Lamido of impugning the integrity of the nation’s judicial system and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), when, in actual fact,  “the government is itself destroying,” these two institutions.

“Where, for instance, did Garba see any reference to these institutions in the  said interview? Did he at all, read the interview or in the classic case of  playing the ‘Boss’, lazily rely on some subordinates who supposedly drew his  attention to a publication he never sighted? And as if this was not shameful enough, he brazenly proceeded to blindly issue a ‘rejoinder’ to a publication  he apparently knew nothing about. This is a further injury to the image,  integrity and ethics of the journalism profession,” it said. According to the group, Garba has thrown up the  poverty of the government’s effort to water down any serious effort to  address our national ills. ” His usual habit of ignoring facts was manifest in his attempt to defend his party rather than the government’s confused approach  to implementing the agenda it promised.”

The group however noted that Alhaji Lamido would not be deterred,  distracted or cowed by the shenanigans of the ilk of Garba, stressing that as a statesman  and nationalist whose sole driving impetus is improvement in the material  condition of the ordinary Nigerian citizen, as well as carving a place of high  repute for Nigeria in the comity of nations, “Alhaji Sule Lamido is forging ahead  with steely determination and singleness of purpose.”

“Lamido will continue to speak truth to power and call out  the APC government in all its numerous failings. No amount of name-calling,  falsehood, character assassination or intimidation will do the trick. Not from  Garba Shehu, not from anyone else. The APC government must shape up or  ship out, or else expect the Sule Lamidos of this Country and they are in the  majority now, to continue to call it out,” the group insisted.

Still comparing the PDP government with the current administration, the group further drew attention to what is called confusion and lies, cross messaging and open confrontation  among various officials of government even while brazenly engaged in corrupt  practices of various kinds as widely reported in the media. “This is worse than a  calamity for a developing nation like ours. Garba should encourage the government he serves to investigate those cases instead of chasing shadows  and silhouettes. If you check the markets, prices have skyrocketed. There is  unemployment, poverty and hunger, which bad effects have shot over the  roofs, while some officials including Garba are smiling, as they hide their loots  from this government. These stories have become daily doses of media  reportage. Time shall tell.”

Maintaining that the antecedents of everyone given opportunity of service speaks for him or  her, the group contended that Alhaji Sule Lamido comes across as a deliverer of promise, challenging anyone in doubt to  visit Jigawa State to understand the difference between the  Lamido years and the present reality. “Every visible productive project of stature dotting the entire landscape was initiated and completed by him.”

“The essential Alhaji Sule Lamido is a quintessential leader who is and still loved  by the people; among whom he lives to date. He speaks his mind, no matter  who is involved. In the process, he has encountered and also survived the  vicissitudes of politics while serving his fatherland. This has, over the years,  shaped his vision with courage of conviction and strength of character. You  may confirm by the kind and nature of people around him and his associates.

“Unlike Alhaji Sule Lamido, Garba is inconsequential, inconsistent, foul mouthed  and practicing quackery as Public Affairs management. Therefore, our final  word and free consultancy for Garba is this: “Attend a refresher course on how  not to be a Public Affairs assistant. We understand one such course is  scheduled for some time in the year 2019, otherwise, you will remain an  albatross on President Buhari’s neck. Nigerians are watching”