PDP Tells Speaker Abbas He Has ‘No Right’ to Complain After Backing Loans

By Emiola Osifeso

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, over his recent warning on Nigeria’s rising debt, accusing him of hypocrisy.

Abbas had warned that Nigeria’s rising debt profile exceeded its statutory threshold and now faces a serious threat to fiscal sustainability.

Speaking on Monday at the opening of the 11th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC) at the National Assembly, Abuja, Abbas had said Nigeria’s debt under President Bola Tinubu had reached “a critical point” and called for urgent reforms in borrowing practices and parliamentary oversight.

He had described the breach of the debt limit as “a signal of strain on fiscal sustainability,” stressing the need for stronger oversight, transparent borrowing practices, and a collective resolve to ensure that every naira borrowed delivers tangible economic and social returns.

But reacting PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, slammed Abbas, stating that lacks the moral right to complain about the country’s debt crisis, having approved President Bola Tinubu’s borrowing requests.

“He himself and his accomplice in borrowing approval, Senator Godswill Akpabio, should bury their heads in shame when issues like this come up,” Osadolor said in an interview with Vanguard in Abuja.

“Tajudeen Abbas cannot, on one hand, approve loans for President Tinubu, and on the other hand, complain that the debt ceiling has been shattered and it is endangering the future generations of this country.”

Osadolor described the current legislature as a “rubber stamp” and contrasted it with the leadership of former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who resisted excessive borrowing by the Buhari administration.

“If they take a look back at the Bukola Saraki Senate Presidency, you will realise that this is a sick joke compared to the way Saraki ran the National Assembly and resisted the borrowing efforts of the Buhari government,” he added.

The PDP chieftain urged Abbas to prioritize the interests of Nigerians, apologize for his complicity, and step aside if he cannot stand up to the executive.

“I urge him to put the interests of Nigerians first and realise that we cannot continue under this yoke of poverty that this debt is putting us under. Since he has realised that what they are doing is endangering the future of Nigerians, the honourable thing is to apologise and resign,” he said.

Osadolor also called for stronger institutions and fiscal discipline, stressing that Nigeria’s problems cannot be solved by relying on “strong men” but rather by building robust institutions.

“When next we elect officers of the National Assembly, we must insist on them choosing their own leaders rather than being hand-picked from the Villa. That way, they will have the courage to do what is right,” he explained.