The governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have said that the party has learnt its lessons and is ready for power in 2023 to provide hope where ineptitude currently exists.

The governors also insisted that Nigeria must embrace restructuring to survive, adding that it must restructure its polity, economy, security and ways of doing things.

Speaking during the PDP national retreat 2021, with the theme, “rescue and rebuild Nigeria,” the Chairman of PDP Governors Forum and Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, said that Nigeria “must embrace relative autonomy and decentralisation of power. This will unleash the energies of our people, especially, the young. It is time to allow Nigeria to blossom. It is doable with all hands on deck.”

Tambuwal, who said PDP is poised to write a new positive chapter for Nigeria, added that a rickety vehicle cannot take Nigeria to its destination as a nation with possibilities for greatness and progress.

He said that PDP is now once again a well-oiled, serviced vehicle that will midwife the Nigeria of our dreams.

“It is indeed time to Rescue and Rebuild Nigeria. Nigeria is in urgent need of a surgical operation. Nigeria is in a permanent emergency.

“We all know what the problems are. They are man-made. And is therefore resolvable. It requires a focused, determined, knowledgeable and patriotic organisation of like minds to build the critical mass necessary for a great leap forward. Yes, it requires leadership, with vision and discipline.

“We suffer from a crisis of governance. The unity of Nigeria is facing unprecedented challenges. Life in Nigeria is increasingly becoming brutish and short as insecurity ravages the land. Poverty is the forte of the ordinary Nigerian. The health and education of our people have not improved.

“Our people are in want. The economy is in dire straits with the exchange rate now about N540 to a Dollar from the N150 to a Dollar when PDP left office. Prices of foodstuff and essential commodities are unsustainable. Clearly beyond the reach of the average Nigerian.

“Between 35 to 40% of Nigerians are unemployed. And women and Youths bear the main brunt. Bandits, kidnappers, terrorists are having a field day. Almost unchallenged. Our children are not safe even in their schools.

“Corruption still stalk the land. Nepotism, ethnic and religious bigotry reign supreme in today’s APC’s Nigeria. Our infrastructure is still comatose.

“Trust and hope in Nigeria is at its lowest. Our lamentations can go on, ad infinitum. But the test of leadership is the ability to solve problems.”

Speaking on the solutions PDP will offer to move the nation forward, the Sokoto state governor said that a sharp contrast must be drawn with the ruling incompetent and rudderless APC administration.

He said: “Where APC thrives in excuses, PDP will take responsibility. Where APC thrives in propaganda and deceit, PDP will be transparent with Nigerians. Whereas APC Government thrives in insecurity, PDP will secure Nigeria. Whereas APC presides over Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world, PDP will make Nigeria prosperous. APC has wrecked our economy, but PDP will salvage it. Where APC focuses on a selective anti-corruption fight, PDP will fight corruption with appropriate institutional reforms.

“Secondly, we must embrace innovation and technology as a way of life. Technology will solve the youth unemployment time bomb. Technology will improve our agriculture, health, industrialisation, education and indeed, it has implications and impacts on all facets of our lives. It is in this respect that we continue to condemn the Twitter ban as a retrogressive action that should never have happened.

“Can Nigeria survive another 4 years of APC? The answer is a resounding No. It is too frightening to contemplate.

“PDP remains the only credible alternative to APC and we cannot afford to fail Nigerians. We must keep hope alive. We can do it. Yes, we can, as Obama would say.”

In his remarks, the National Chairman-elect of PDP, Senator Iyorcha Ayu said, “surely Nigeria needs rescuing and rebuilding.

“The damage done by the APC is pretty obvious- insecurity everywhere, including shared sovereignty with criminal and terrorist gangs, a collapsed economy with a comatose manufacturing sector, soaring prices, naira near worthless, interest rates very high, with the Central Bank of Nigeria picking and choosing winners and losers and virtually running a parallel government, (which even leaves the Vice President confused), collapsed infrastructure, terrorist sympathizers in government, and confusion everywhere, as Fela would say.”

TodayNG