 The People's Democratic Party has declared that Nigeria will never fail as a nation despite the various challenges it is battling. It made the assertion in a statement by its national publicity secretary Kola Ulubudion to commemorate the nation's 61st Independence Anniversary. According to the PDP, Nigeria is celebrating independence in the face of subverted elections, the crackdown on the opposition and dissenting voices and other suppressive acts. While the PDP praised and defended its 16-year rule in the country from 1999 to 2015, it ranked the current administration poorly in terms of governance in Nigeria. According to the party, the APC has plunged the country into economic slavery.