PDP Governors Promises To Work With FG To Reduce High Cost Of Living

On Monday, state governors elected under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) expressed grave concerns, stating that Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government, is perilously close to resembling the situation in Venezuela and have promised to work with the Federal Government to reduce high cost of living among Nigerians.

The PDP Governors made this known at a meeting held at the Oyo State Governor\'s Lodge in Abuja, yesterday.

The Governors compared the situation faces in Nigeria to that of Venezuela, that is grappling with a host of challenges, including political corruption, persistent shortages of essential items like food and medicine, business closures, high unemployment rates, decreased productivity, human rights violations, severe economic mismanagement, and heavy dependence on oil, all of which have exacerbated the crisis.

Furthermore, there has been a noticeable surge in abduction cases and various other crimes in Abuja and other regions of Nigeria in recent times. Additionally, the prices of food items have been steadily increasing, posing significant challenges for the majority of Nigerians who struggle to afford basic necessities.

In response to the economic and security challenges, the PDP governors reiterated their demand for the establishment of state police and urged the Federal Government to take decisive action to address the depreciation of the value of the naira.

Following their gathering at the Oyo State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, on Monday, the governors emphasized their dedication to revitalizing and repositioning the PDP to function as a robust opposition to the ruling party in Nigeria.

The Chairman of the Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who described the party as the most democratic party, said, “What we are doing is providing constructive criticism of the Federal Government’s objectionable policies.

“But at the beginning of this administration, we supported the removal of subsidy. We believed that there were safeguards in place and that if we made collective decisions, we should abide by them. However, we have now witnessed a free fall of the naira.

“The cost of living is skyrocketing, and we are almost on the road to becoming like Venezuela. So, we are offering concrete opposition without insulting anybody. Ultimately, the decision rests squarely with Nigerians and other organs in the country to ensure that we take actions that will bring relief to all of us.”

Mohammed disclosed that the PDP governors will work closely with the APC-led Federal Government in a manner that will provide some relief to people at the grassroots level.

“The rising cost of living is not solely the responsibility of the Federal Government. We have been collaborating with them to ensure that we avoid any distractions, but the monetary and economic policies are squarely the responsibility of the Federal Government,” he noted

The governors present included the Vice-Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Siminalayi Fubara from Rivers State; the host, Seyi Makinde from Oyo State; Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri from Adamawa State; Caleb Mutfwang from Plateau State; Dauda Lawal from Zamfara State; Kefas Agbu from Taraba State; Godwin Obaseki from Edo State; the Deputy Governor of Enugu State; and the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Monday John Onyeme, representing Delta State.