APC National Convention, a Charade, Mockery Of Democracy – PDP
BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Saturday took a critical look at the national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as a charade, a mockery of democracy and assault on the sensibility of Nigerians.
It stressed that it is instructive to state that the APC convention directly reflects the confusion, intimidations, violations and descent to fascism, that have characterized governance in our nation in the last three years.
The opposition party particularly noted that the open intimidation and physical assault on aspirants and delegates to the convention has further confirmed the desperation by President Muhammadu Buhari’s camp to seize the APC’s presidential ticket, for which they have resorted to imposing pliable officials who had been handed the directives to muzzle other presidential aspirants in the ruling Party ahead of the party’s Presidential primary.
The PDP called the attention of Nigerians to the fact that some of the officials preferred, particularly, the National Chairman, are individuals overburdened by heavy corruption allegations, and whose expected investigation and prosecution were traded for a Presidential ticket for President Buhari.
These were contained in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, who observed that delegates and other members of the APC were horrified when aspirants to various party offices were being threatened, harassed and in some cases, paid and handed written orders to mount the stage and announce their withdrawal for aspirants listed by President Buhari, under heavy security presence.
The PDP further said; “The world observed with shock how aspirants and delegates who dared to raise questions were manhandled by thugs and intimidated by security operatives.
“President Buhari’s handlers are aware that due to his poor performance, clinching his party’s presidential ticket under a free, fair and credible primary is impossible, hence this resort to intimidation, coercion and escalation of official hooliganism in the APC.
While urging Nigerians and the international community to take note of what it described as “the desperation” in Mr. President’s camp, for which they are bent at destroying our democracy, the PDP said that it is clear that with the character, personality and outlook of the incoming national executive of the APC, the party has been finally sunk by President Buhari and his power hungry cabal.
