BY HENRY UMORU

ABUJA—NATIONAL leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Sunday, described governors of the newly registered All Progressives Congress, APC, as anti-people and undemocratic for opposing the proposed financial autonomy for local governments in the country.

Speaking with newsmen, the National Auditor of PDP, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju, who noted the stiff opposition of the APC governors to the proposed autonomy as being championed by the House of Representatives, however, called on the members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employes, NULGE, to rise against what he described as the undemocratic posture of the governors.

He said: “We are under a democratic rule and not in a military era. Under a democratic system of government anywhere in the world, majority always carry the day.

“Now, the National Assembly, which is saddled with the responsibility of making laws for the good governance of the country has spoken, the members of the National Assembly were democratically elected from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, so why should the APC be against the wishes and aspirations of the people?

“Is the APC governors telling the nation that they are above the laws of the land or want their own minority view to prevail on the majority views? This is laughable and undemocratic.

“My appeal is that the members of the NULGE and the general public should rise against the APC for opposing the much desired autonomy for the LGAs. They should reject the party at the polls because if by mistake the party is given the mandate to govern the country, God forbid, Nigerians should expect the worst.

“As a democrat, I’m always on the side of the people. To me, the National Assembly has done the right thing because it will spread developments, the LGAs will no longer wait for governors to dictate to them the types of projects or programmes to embark upon as it is being practised now, despite the fact that our constitution recognises three tiers of government.”

Adeyanju alleged that the APC governors knew how they had been cornering monthly allocations of the LGAs from the Federal Government, adding that the posture explained why the governors would go to any length to oppose the autonomy for their selfish and personal interest.