The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lauded Lagos residents for their tolerance and resilience since the country returned to democracy in 1999, slamming the ruling All Progressives Congress for mismanaging this state’s resources.

“Lagos state is blessed with both natural and human resources, apart from the fact that it is the commercial nerve centre of the nation, and the state has little or nothing to show for it,” PDP’s spokesman in Lagos, Akeem Amode, said this in a message to commemorate the Democracy Day anniversary on Monday in Lagos.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari had declared June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day instead of May 29, instituted by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, in honour of late Chief MKO Abiola. The declaration followed many years of agitations by civil society groups that Mr Abiola must be immortalised.

Mr Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, died in detention for alleged treason.

Mr Amode, in the message, said there was no doubt that Lagos had yet to enjoy the real dividends of democracy, which Abiola and the June 12, 1993 elections stood for.

“For us in the Lagos State PDP, we believe that the residents of the state deserve more than they are experiencing under the ruling party,” said the statement.

The opposition party added, “This is a state that ought to set the pace for others in education, health and other infrastructure based on her huge income. By now, Lagos should have been the cynosure of all eyes and built into a city compared to notable cities of the world such as Dubai, Johannesburg and others.”

Mr Amode promised that residents would begin to enjoy their wealth once the PDP takes over power in the state through the election cases before the court.

Lagos has been in the vice-grip of the ruling party (under various names) since 1999 both in the executive and legislative arms of government, with widespread claims that the APC has the ears of the judiciary in the state and at the national level.

(NAN)