The party said it would aggressively seek a referendum to facilitate the birth of a new people-oriented constitution that would address the lingering political and economic injustices.
The Presidential Campaign Council of the African Action Congress (AAC) has said the lives of Nigerians under President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress have become brutish, nasty, and short.
It called on Nigerians to change this narrative by voting for the AAC presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, in the February 25 election, adding that the past two decades have seen the hopes of Nigerians for a better life dashed on the altar of failed neoliberal policies and the attendant corruption, incompetence, and ethnoreligious divisions.
AAC said this in its New Year message to Nigerians titled "Nigerians Suffering And Dying Under The APC; Support The AAC To Transform The Country."
The party said it would aggressively seek a referendum to facilitate the birth of a new people-oriented constitution that would address the lingering political and economic injustices which are the bane of major conflicts in the country.
The statement reads, "The Presidential Campaign Council of the African Action Congress (AAC) hereby salutes the courage, tenacity, and industry of the good people of Nigeria who have had to endure untold hardship and suffering these past seven years, especially in 2022, under the failed Buhari-led APC government.
"We believe that 2022 was one of the most difficult years for our people as they had to grapple with a horrible mix of economic hardship, worsening insecurity, and a corrupt and inept government way out of its depth on basic matters of governance and citizens' welfare.
"Inflation, high unemployment, low wages, a severely weakened naira, and the consequent erosion of the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians drove millions further into poverty."
It added that insecurity has worsened under the Buhari government “as terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, robbers, and ritualists held Nigerians to ransom, carving out large, ungoverned sections of the country out for themselves and dishing out terror to our people”.
It continued, "Also, under Buhari and his APC, corruption became, and remains a directive principle of state. Corrupt politicians and bureaucrats continue to embezzle sums estimated in trillions of Naira from the national treasury. The weighty allegations of theft of trillions of stamp duties remain unresolved.
"Organized crude oil theft by rogue state operatives and their allies in the creeks continues unabated, resulting in the loss of billions in much-needed revenue that could otherwise be channeled to enhance the welfare of the Nigerian people.
"In summary, life for Nigerians under Buhari and the APC has become brutish, nasty, and short.
"We wish to assure the Nigerian people that with their support, this terrible state of affairs will soon be over. The presence of the AAC and our presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore on the ballot in 2023 presents a unique opportunity for our people to reclaim their country and put the ruinous years of this APC government and its equally culpable predecessors behind us.
"The AAC Manifesto which is essentially a blueprint for the revolutionary transformation of Nigeria proposes bold political, economic, and social interventions to immediately halt the national decline, and set the country on a solid path to rapid socio-political and economic development.
"For a start, we'll aggressively seek a referendum to facilitate the birth of a new people-oriented constitution which will address the lingering political and economic injustices at the root of major conflicts in the country.
"We’ll create and strengthen sustainable institutions to heal and unite the peoples of Nigeria. We'll democratically socialize the economy in order to bring it within the ownership and control of the Nigerian people.
"We’ll protect the national treasury and commit collective resources towards strategic investments in energy, healthcare, education, and national security which, taken together, would transform our backward mono-economy into a modern industrial and technological hub, eliminating unemployment and boosting living standards.
"The past two decades have seen the hopes of our people for a better life dashed on the altar of failed neoliberal policies and the attendant corruption, incompetence, and ethno-religious divisions. In 2023, the AAC will change this narrative with the votes and support of the Nigerian people. Join us."