The Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers has decried massive unemployment and generalised insecurity in the state after 22 years of its loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This is contained in a statement issued on behalf of the traditional rulers by the Chairman of the council, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, in Enugu on Tuesday.
It was issued during a courtesy visit to traditional rulers in Enugu by the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as a precursor to his campaign rally.
The statement alleged that in spite of supporting the PDP for 22 years, Enugu State had witnessed human rights abuses by law enforcement operatives.
“A factual and undiluted political history of our country’s present republic will teach that the political party known as the PDP was midwifed by eminent and patriotic Nigerians known as the G-34.
“They did this under the leadership of the Second Republic vice-president, His Excellency, Dr Alex Ekwueme, an indigene of the Southeast geopolitical zone.
“Since the inception of PDP, its presidential candidates have always been warmly welcomed by us, each time they came hunting for votes.
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“PDP presidential candidates invariably made mouth-watering promises to our subjects who consequently voted massively for them.
“After more than two decades of our support for the PDP, Enugu State has only unemployment, insecurity, dehumanisation of her indigenes by law-enforcement officers and the resultant youth restiveness to show for it.
“It is against this backdrop that we welcome you on this courtesy visit and predictably we have received a sumptuous dish of often-repeated promises from you.
“If our late brother, Prof. Chinua Achebe, were to be here, he would have simply advised you to go and count your teeth with your tongue.
“Everything considered our hope of a better Nigeria compels us to remain engaged and pray for peaceful, free, fair and credible presidential election.
“We pray that the election produces the best candidate, irrespective of his political party,’’ the statement read.
Igwe Agubuzu, Nigeria’s former ambassador to Zambia and Malawi is also the Chairman, Southeast Council of Traditional Rulers.