Politics
Stay In Your Party Or Quit Politics, APC Tells PDP Defectors
The All Progressives
Congress (APC), on Wednesday, came hard on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when it formally shut its doors against members of the ruling party wishing to join its ranks.
The APC enjoined members and leaders of the PDP to stay where they are and rebuild their party or quit politics if they cannot survive in opposition.
The party made its official position known in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Abuja.
The APC spokesman noted that the leadership of the PDP was not even waiting to be approached before fleeing to the APC.
He, therefore, admonished the PDP to come to terms with the “cold, hard reality” that it was now in opposition following its recent defeat and loss of the presidency to the APC.
The statement partly reads, “APC leaders and members are falling over themselves shamelessly and swearing undying allegiance to the APC.
“We, in case they did not get the message of the president-elect and our national chairman, we want to repeat it in very blunt terms: PDP leaders and members, you are not welcome in APC.
“Please stay in your party but if – as we suspect – you cannot survive in opposition, then, take a walk, quit politics.”
The APC was reacting to a communiqué issued by the PDP, in which it accused the APC of harassing its members and of trying to turn Nigeria into a one party state.
The PDP after the inaugural meeting of its National Working Committee and Governors/Senator-elect, had alleged that its members were being harassed and intimidated by the APC following its victory at the March 28 presidential election.
But the APC said the fact that the PDP devoted a substantial part of the communiqué accusing the party of harassing and intimidating its members showed that the PDP has not come to terms with the reality on the ground.
“The truth of the matter is that the PDP is scared stiff of being in opposition. We don’t blame them as they have neither the capacity nor the commitment to be in opposition.
“A party that stood for nothing but looting and rent collection will naturally be afraid of being in opposition, where there is nothing to rent or collect,” the APC spokesman said.
It would be recalled that the president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and the APC National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun had in their private capacities, admonished members and leaders of the PDP to remain where they are and rebuild their party.
Boye Salau