With the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari approaching its first 100 days and Nigerians demanding fulfillment of his “covenant,” the All Progressives Congress (APC) has started making concerted moves to distance itself from some well documented campaign promises.
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Speaking on Tuesday, September 1, 2015, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Lai Mohammed shocked many Nigerians when he denied claims that the APC had promised to provide one meal a day for primary school children around the country.
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When asked about billboards carrying the promises, he retorted: “Anybody can produce a billboard and display. We know nothing about it.”
It is worthwhile to note that none of these promises was rebuffed during the pre-election campaigns.
Asides the billboards, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, had on Saturday, January 24, 2015 taken to social media platform, Twitter to restate the APC’s pledge to provide one meal a day for children in public primary school.
See his tweet below:
"We are committed to a meal a day for all children in public primary schools."
– Prof. Osinbajo; VGC townhall meeting…#Change— Prof Yemi Osinbajo (@ProfOsinbajo) January 24, 2015
For further avoidance of doubts, the original APC manifesto said the APC government “Will provide free meals in schools to drastically reduce the number of out of school children. Osun State provides free lunches and got its school enrollment up to 80%.”
The attempt by the APC and Lai Mohammed to disown this major campaign promise has led to public outcry as Nigerians feel short-changed.
Lending his voice to the condemnation is popular blogger and a staunch APC supporter, Japheth Omojuwa, who on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 took to Twitter to make his displeasure known.
See his tweets below:
How can APC even claim they didn't promise one meal a day per school child? They should fire whoever said that on their behalf.
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) September 2, 2015
Nothing has been more annoying to me than to even hear anyone tell me they didn't promise one meal a day per school child? Say what?
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) September 2, 2015
