Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described All Progressives Congress, (APC) senators as rubber stamps legislators for approving President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for a fresh $22.7 billion loan.
The party said in approving more financial burden on the nation, “the APC senators have further shown that their party does not have the interest of Nigerians at heart, but is only out to repress and plunge our citizens into more hardship just for their selfish gains.”
In a statement issued on Thursday night by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said it was distressing that APC senators approved the loan, even when “the Buhari Presidency has not justified the request; a situation that validates apprehensions that the APC senators have become rubber stamp legislators.”
The statement continued: “The fact that the $22.7 billion loan request brimmed with unexplained, obscure, over-bloated and questionable subheads, such as the scandalous $500 million (N180 billion) smuggled in under the guise of upgrading the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, shows that APC and a cabal in the Presidency are in a huge financial racket, for which they are ready to plunge Nigerians into more suffering.
“In approving the loan, even after it was clear that Nigerians are averse to it, the APC senators have confirmed that they are in league with other APC leaders to fleece our nation and bring more hardship to Nigerians.
“The party notes as disheartening that under the Buhari Presidency our foreign debt has continued to accumulate with nothing to show other than the excruciating unemployment rate, decayed infrastructure, a worsening governance system, escalated insecurity and unprecedented poverty.
“The party, however, commended the PDP senators for standing with Nigerians in fearlessly rejecting the loan as it will bring more hardship and further mortgage the future of our nation.
“The PDP, therefore, calls on Nigerians to unite in defence of our nation by raising their voices to demand that the Senate reverses this unpatriotic approval, which is completely against our national interest.”