Bomba Dauda
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State has issued a damning assessment of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administrations at both federal and state levels, accusing them of plunging Nigerians into unprecedented economic hardship, insecurity, and administrative failure.
Speaking at a world press conference held at the PDP State Secretariat in Kaduna, the State Chairman of the party, Hon. Chief Edward Percy Masha, described the last two years under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani as “the worst era in Nigeria’s history,” citing widespread poverty, insecurity, economic instability, and alleged government deceit.
Referring to President Tinubu’s inaugural declaration that “subsidy is gone” on May 29, 2023, the PDP chairman said the move marked the beginning of unprecedented hardship for millions of Nigerians. “From Lagos to Maiduguri, Calabar to Sokoto, citizens were thrown into their worst economic crisis in history,” Masha said. “In Kaduna, where insecurity and poverty were already rampant, subsidy removal was like a death sentence.”
He quoted legal practitioner Bashir Audi, who wrote that Tinubu “unwittingly opened the gates of Hell and let loose all the trapped demons on a hapless populace.”
Citing data from a 2025 security report, the PDP claimed that Kaduna remains among the top three states worst hit by kidnapping and banditry. “Between July 2023 and June 2024, over 1,100 people were abducted in Kaduna alone across 113 incidents,” Masha noted. He described Governor Uba Sani’s recent claims of improved security as “a sham,” adding that areas like Kajuru, Kauru, Kaura, Birnin Gwari, and Chikun remain under siege by criminals.
The party further alleged that the Kaduna Ministry of Internal Security has failed in its mandate, accusing it of being a “conduit for siphoning state resources” and lacking technological investment in intelligence gathering and surveillance.
According to the PDP, despite Kaduna receiving over ₦601 billion in loans, federal allocations, and palliative grants, there has been little to show in terms of improved living standards. It challenged the state government to publicly account for its spending on security negotiations and palliative programs.
“The ₦5 billion Federal Government palliative loan and the ₦11.4 billion palliative distribution in 2024 were nothing but propaganda and abuse of public trust,” the chairman said.
He also accused the state government of deceit over the promised 100 CNG buses for civil servants and the implementation of the new national minimum wage, saying civil servants were yet to see tangible benefits.
The PDP dismissed claims of large-scale infrastructure projects, alleging that less than 10% of promised roads have been completed, with most being substandard or abandoned. Specific projects cited include the Romi Junction–Karatudu road and the Takjei–Jankasa rural road in Zangon Kataf LGA, which was reportedly washed away three months after partial construction.
In the health sector, the PDP cited alarming maternal and child mortality rates and said only 22% of children in the state are fully immunized. “Resident doctors are currently on strike due to poor working conditions and arbitrary termination of appointments,” the party added.
On education, it pointed to over 768,000 out-of-school children and continued strikes in state tertiary institutions, particularly the Kaduna State University (KASU), due to underfunding and deteriorating facilities.
Masha criticized the government’s neglect of agriculture, claiming that in 2024, only ₦22 million was allocated to the Kaduna Agricultural Agency (KADA). Promised distribution of 400 trucks of fertilizer reportedly never materialized, with a few diverted to political loyalists.
On the economy, the PDP said that over 130 million Nigerians have sunk into multi-dimensional poverty under APC rule, with inflation at 40%, and electricity supply remaining erratic. “Tinubu’s promise of a 200 billion naira package for farmers and 100 billion for youth entrepreneurship has not been fulfilled,” the statement added.
Chief Masha vowed that the PDP would continue to hold the APC accountable and prepare to reclaim Kaduna in the 2027 elections.
“Never again shall our party win and be shortchanged,” he declared. “In 2027, it will be the people versus the APC. We will mobilize to defend our mandate at all costs.”
