The war of words between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) continued on Wednesday, as the PDP accused the main opposition party of making unrealistic and unsubstantiated campaign promises to Nigerians in order to win votes. PDP further alleged that: “There is a worrisome trend in the camp of the opposition, which is not only inimical to the stability of our nation but also to the growth and sustenance of our democracy.” Addressing a press conference on the matter, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh, however stated that the PDP has done well in the last four years under President Goodluck Jonathan, even though they were not perfect. Enumerating what it termed unrealistic policies, Metuh said: “The APC in one of its phantom promises said it would pay a stipend of N5, 000 each to 25 million poor Nigerians monthly. This gives a total of N125 billion each month and N1.5 trillion every year. “What is baffling is that the APC knows that this is not only unrealistic but also impracticable in a nation with an estimated budget of N4.69 trillion comprising recurrent and capital expenditures yet they continue to dish it out to unsuspecting citizens in a clear bid to mislead. “Also, the deceitful tendency of the APC came to light in its promise to create 740, 000 direct jobs in each of the 36 states of the federation and Abuja within one year while on the other hand promising to create 1 million jobs for Igbo youths also within the same period. We ask, which do we believe? “The APC has also promised to provide free education, daily free meals for millions of Nigerian school children, free tertiary education, free health care and free houses to Nigerians. The opposition knows too well that this is unrealistic yet they prefer to brandish falsehood. “The APC should explain to Nigerians how they would fulfil their promises with the prevailing 40 percent drop in national income and dwindling oil prices in the international market. These promises are therefore either bogus or part of their plot to subject the citizens to a harsh tax regime ostensibly to finance ‘Bourdilon Drive’ and other personal interests, the real reason they desperately seek power. “We therefore challenge the APC to come forward and admit before Nigerians that these promises are false and merely deceitful if not they should be bold enough to tell Nigerians that they are planning to skyrocket our personal income and company taxes if they ever get to power.” Metuh also said under the PDP-led administration, company tax would be pegged at a maximum of 30 percent of the profit whereas personal income tax hovers from 1 percent for minimum wage earners to a maximum of 19 percent for Nigerians earning up to N100 million. He said: “Can Nigerians afford a tax regime of 45 percent company tax and 32 percent personal income tax? Whilst we note the multiple tax regimes in APC states like Lagos State, we believe that Nigerians are not ready to bear the brunt of APC’s harsh tax policy. “If on the other hand APC decides to deny the planned imposition of a harsh tax regime, then they must accept they are guilty of fake campaign promises and deceitful manifesto. “Indeed, the APC has constituted itself into a huge embarrassment to our dear nation. It has remained a camp of dishonest lot whose statements cannot be trusted having continually displayed its lack of integrity and proclivity for falsehood. A party of one week, one lie.” Metuh stated that: “Nigerians are still shocked at the discovery of the latest international fraud where the APC rehashed an old interview by its Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) as a fresh one, all in a bid to cover up a mismanaged international trip. “This is coming on the heels of another shocking discovery that the APC’s claim that its presidential candidate visited Chibok which turned out to be a hoax meant to deceive Nigerians, as he never did. “You may well recall that in June, 2014 the APC in its usual proclivity for lies, issued a statement alleging that a plane carrying Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, purportedly to attend its rally in Ekiti State was denied landing permission in Akure, only for Kwankwaso’s Director of Press Affairs, Baba Dantiye, to announce that the governor was at another event in Kano and had no plans to travel to Ekiti State. “Nigerians have not forgotten series of false alarms by the APC, the latest being the allegations of government siege and claims of threats to lives of its leaders which turned out to be totally false and only cooked up by its propaganda machinery to heat up the polity. Source: THISDAY