With less than two weeks to the March 28 presidential election, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has said that a vote for the Peoples Democratic Party will undermine the self-worth of every Nigerian.
Mr. Tambuwal said if he and some of his colleagues in the National Assembly wanted the easy option for themselves, they would not have moved away from the PDP but would have remained in the party and make themselves richer for it.
A statement issued by his spokesman, Imam Imam, on Monday said Mr. Tambuwal made the remarks Sunday night when he addressed a Town Hall meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Tsafe Emirate, Zamfara State.
He said since 1999, the PDP has proven to be incapable of steering the ship of state in an effective manner, adding that for Nigerians to regain their dignity and self-worth, they must join hands to vote out the party from power.
“Many patriotic Nigerians who felt the need to change the course of our country have protested the inept administrative style visited on this country. They made their voices known by abandoning the PDP and teaming up with progressive-minded Nigerians.
“Remaining in the PDP would have the easy option for us. We would have been richer and would been enjoying the benefits of being in the same political camp with the Federal Government. But we chose a different option because we felt enough is enough. We felt Nigeria deserves better leadership that is why we are in the APC.
“So a vote for PDP would be undignified. We must re-discover our self-worth as a people, we must move the country forward,” the Speaker added.
Mr. Tambuwal is a former member of the PDP. He became speaker on the platform of the party, but later dumped it late 2014.
The PDP-led federal government tried but failed to unseat Mr. Tambuwal after he defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Speaking at the event attended by traditional rulers and other interest groups at the Emirate, Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, commended Mr. Tambuwal and the House of Representatives for their patriotic stand to issues, and assured the people of Tsafe Emirate of his commitment to provide quality representation when elected for a second term in the coming election.