The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, counselled the All Progressives Congress (APC) to perish the thought of deceiving Nigerians with its change of slogan from ‘CHANGE’ to ‘PROGRESS’.
The party described the development as a direct insult on the intelligence of Nigerians, saying the party in the past three years brought nothing but hunger, afflictions and daily bloodletting to the nation.
In a statement released, yesterday, the party asked: “How can the APC think that by changing its slogan, Nigerians will suddenly forget that in the last three years of its administration, the nation has not witnessed the change it promised and that all the campaign promises upon which they rode to power have all turned out to be lies?” noting that “Whereas under the APC misrule all aspects of our national life have witnessed unprecedented deterioration, its leaders are busy thinking of how to beguile Nigerians with a change of slogan instead of preparing their handover notes.
“It is a notorious fact that the APC has nothing to progress with unless they mean the perpetuation of their misrule, violation of human rights, de-marketing of our nation, wrecking of our economy, increased unemployment, instigating of disunity among the people as well as the acute hunger and poverty for which they have become synonymous.”
The major opposition party said what is required today is a new leadership of qualitative Nigerians endowed with sufficient knowledge in the spheres of economy, security and good governance.
The change of the ruling party’s slogan at the recently concluded national convention is seen by many as a marketing strategy ahead of the 2019 elections.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, challenged the new National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, to immediately submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) “over humongous corruption allegations hanging on his neck”.
PDP said Oshiomhole lacks the “rectitude to speak in public as a leader at any level,” adding that this is until he “clears the allegations that he diverted billions of naira meant for the people of Edo state while he was governor.”
In a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, the opposition party said since the petition against Oshiomhole at the EFCC was in the public domain, the “newly installed national chairman would do the APC, Buhari Presidency, the EFCC as well as himself a lot of good by quietly submitting himself for investigation and possibly, prosecution.”
The statement added, “Since one of the campaign footstool upon which APC was elected into office is fighting corruption, it will be incongruous for Oshiomhole to go about his new assignment with allegation of corruption, even as tiny as a strand of hair.
“It is also instructive for the new chairman to understand that Nigerians are no longer inclined to sophistry, illogical arguments, deceits, contrivance and recourse to abuse as a method of campaign.
“As such, the PDP would be prepared for engagements that have the potency of rescuing our people from the hunger and starvation which the APC has sunk them.
“However, the essence of Oshiomhole’s emergence as President Muhammadu Buhari’s sole candidate was not lost on Nigerians as the Presidency imposed him as a pliable instrument to frustrate other would-be presidential aspirants of APC extraction and hand the ticket to President Buhari, who obviously is afraid to stand a presidential primary due to his failures in office.
“With Saturday’s charade, APC and its Federal Government, which claims to have zero tolerance for corruption, have eaten their vomits, confirming that they have been hypocritical and trending on lies, deception and propaganda.
“With the outcome of the Saturday’s convention, the APC has kissed internal democracy goodbye in the selection of its candidates at all levels as the national leadership, led by people burdened with corruption allegations, cannot but submit to the whim and caprices of those who granted them official protection from prosecution.
“President Buhari and his handlers should, however, note that manipulating the APC convention and seizing the party’s Presidential ticket cannot help them as Nigerians, are now fully rallying on the platform of the repositioned PDP in their quest for a new President, who truly has the competence to effectively run a united, secure and prosperous nation, come 2019.”
Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated the national convention of the dysfunctional All Progressives Congress (APC), last Saturday, as a charade, a mockery of democracy and assault on the sensibility of Nigerians.
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said that the open intimidation and physical assault on aspirants and delegates to the convention further confirm 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 APC ahead of the party’s Presidential primary.
“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 said.
According to the party, “Nigerians are invited to note that some of the officials preferred, particularly, the national chairman, are individuals overburdened by heavy corruption allegations, and whose expected investigation and prosecution have been traded for a Presidential ticket for President Buhari.
“The world observed with shock how aspirants and delegates who dared to raise questions were manhandled by thugs and intimidated by security operatives.
“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.
“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.