Your Party Has Collapsed, PDP Mocks APC

• Insists confusion exposes Buhari’s failed Presidency
  

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says impunity and lawlessness in the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) simply exposes a failed Muhammadu Buhari-led Presidency.

According to Nigeria’s main opposition party, having been hijacked by the Presidency cabal, APC now thrives on confusion and lack of control which accounts for its obvious rejection by Nigerians ahead of the 2019 general elections  

Reviewing the outcome of Tuesday’s APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, PDP said the governing party has finally collapsed and is only awaiting its ultimate burial come 2019.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said on Wednesday that “the APC has ultimately lost its soul and can no longer be reckoned with as a political party.”

Ologbondiyan alleged that with the Presidency cabal seizing control of the APC’s structures, it has sadly “overthrown its constitution, suppressed dissenting voices; and imposed a dictatorial regime within its ranks, reminiscent of a military coup.”

The PDP spokesperson maintained that the development in the APC has further exposed the desperation by the Buhari Presidency to seize the political space, even within their party, adding; “Nigerians watched with rude shock as President Muhammadu Buhari, the African Union anti-corruption champion, directly superintended over the worst kind of corruption in a political party by overthrowing its constitution and democratic processes, all in the bid to shut out other contenders in the Presidential race, a development which further confirms that the President has lost popularity even in his own party.”

“We invite all to note that whereas, the APC constitution provides for a four year tenure for officials of its organs and enshrined a re-election or reappointment at the expiration of the said tenure, the Buhari Presidency muzzled the APC NEC and imposed an illegal one year tenure extension for the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee, a fiat that is not provided for in the party’s constitution.” 

It further stated that; “The APC is so dysfunctional that under the grip of the Presidency cabal, the party in contravention of its own constitution does not have a Board of Trustees (BOT), which explains the reason it lacks conscience and failed completely in delivering good governance to the nation. 

“Worst still, while its constitution provides for quarterly NEC meetings, the party has only held five since its formation in 2014.

“From the outcome of the Tuesday’s APC NEC meeting, it is clear that the party has finally collapsed, lost all democratic credentials and can no longer provide level playing ground for its members or even other Nigerians to freely aspire for any position of their choice, particularly, the Presidency, Governorship and National Assembly positions in the 2019 general elections.”

The PDP stated that current developments within the governing have proven without doubts that “the APC is no longer a credible platform but an appropriated one, where only those anointed by the Presidency cabal can have the opportunity to aspire for any position within its ranks. The APC has been seized and is irredeemably damaged ahead of the 2019 general elections.”

The PDP statement insisted that “the confusion and lawlessness that were the hallmarks of the outcome of the APC caucus and NEC meeting signpost the failures inherent in the incompetent, blundering and corrupt Buhari-led administration which has brought so much hardship and violence to our dear nation.

“This gives a strong insight into why the APC government was not able to adequately aggregate the issues, assemble the right economic team and muster the desired expertise, with appropriate programs and policies to run the much desired productive government in almost three years.”

“We therefore urge all Nigerians of good faith still in the APC to note that their platform has lost it all and as such take the bold steps to save our nation’s democracy.

“On our own part, the repositioned and rebranded PDP remains open as the only credible platform for the much desired new national political engagement where all Nigerians can freely and democratically aspire to any position of their choice, be it the highest in the country without any let or hinderance”, the PDP assured Nigerians.

“The PDP therefore calls on the APC to note its self-inflicted doom and be ready to accept the inevitable defeat come 2019”, the statement said.