The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State’s achievement is enough to instill confidence in people that he can govern the country come 2019.

Reacting on the raging controversy surrounding the New Year predictions of a Catholic Priest, Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka, the deputy national chairman of the party, Senator Babayo Gamawa, told journalists in Gombe on Sunday that though only God knows the future, the PDP would be glad to have Dankwambo as its flag bearer come 2019.

“The issue of future is only known by God, but there are people from different faith, who were making predictions which sometimes become real sometimes it doesn’t. If his prediction becomes reality, PDP will definitely be glad to have someone like him as the party’s flag bearer. “Considering how he transformed Gombe State from what it was to its present stage, going by his record, having excelled through his professional carrier to the rank of accountant general and governor of Gombe State, he has the prerequisites qualification and curriculum vitae to preside or to be the flag bearer of our party comes 2019,” he said.

Gamawa said in politics, there was no need to preempt plans but that Dankwambo knows how to manage finances going by his discipline as a professional accountant.

The PDP leader also used the moment to take a swipe at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration of inflicting hardship unnecessarily on the common people. He blamed the failure of the APC federal government to initiate sound policies that would positively impact on the lives of the citizens as responsible for the prevailing hardship being experienced across the country.

“Personally, there are certain areas Nigerians are left in the dark. If you are presiding over the affairs of the government, you are expected to introduce policies that will impact positively on the lives of Nigerians. I mean the common man. People can’t even compare life during PDP and now because things are tough because of hardship, the prices of goods in the market have tripled,” he said.

He dismissed claims by the APC attributing the prevailing hardship to economic recession as result of alleged PDP’s mismanagement of funds, stressing that the recent economic recession was a global phenomenon and not peculiar to Nigeria. “Recession is not only in Nigeria, and if you go through the economic books, recession is something that comes once a while whether you apply something or not it will go, but the issue is what do you apply to reduce the pains which is not there,” Gamawa said.

Gamawa assured that if the PDP comes back to power 2019, the party would adequately tackle the recession in order to soften the hardship on the citizens. “We know government is not a profit making venture but a service provider. A serious government is always concerned about three fundamental things; Developing the country by executing projects, improving economy by engaging experts to apply measures which will boost the economy as well as providing security for life and property of citizens,” he said.

“The PDP of today is not the PDP of yesterday. The team that we have today is concerned with the victory of the party, lives of Nigerians, developmental projects in the country as well as gives a level playing ground for all. We will make sure we give a level playing ground for all aspirants, allow them to come and speak out their manifestos,” Gamawa said. (LEADERSHIP)

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