11-25-2017, 04:22 PM
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to sabotage its December 9 national convention.
Citing “intelligence reports”, the PDP said the ruling party has perfected plans to sponsor a parallel convention, using some unscrupulous members of the PDP to hold a parallel convention.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the aim of the APC was to factionalise and destroy the opposition ahead of the 2019 elections.
Adeyeye appealed to PDP members across the federation to resist such temptation, saying the party was doing everything to address grievances among its aspirants to the various executive positions ahead of the December 9 convention.
He said: “We are not completely oblivious of the plans by the APC to sabotage our convention.
“Apart from the internal fighting within the APC, one of the reasons why the party postponed its national convention till next year was to enable it closely monitor our convention with a view to destabilising our party ahead of the 2019 general elections.
“The National Caretaker Committee has uncovered plans by some unscrupulous members of our party to hold a parallel national convention on December 9, 2017.
“This is totally uncalled for and a complete act of sabotage. Those making such plans cannot be said to be honest members of our party, the PDP. They are not patriotic but just out to destroy our party.
“The planned parallel convention is one of those ideas of the APC to create divisions amongst members of our party.
“It will be most unfortunate for members of our party to allow themselves to be used against the party, especially in the light of our recent painful experience.
“These are all part of the agenda of the APC to create an atmosphere of fear and insecurity around PDP members before and after the national convention.
“It is also part of the overall strategy of the ruling party to turn Nigeria into a one party state.
“The National Caretaker Committee has been working very hard to carry all party members and supporters of the party along in all the preparations for the forthcoming national convention holding on December 9 – 10, 2017.”
According to him, the plot by the APC was to capitalise on disagreements among the chairmanship aspirants of the PDP, assuring that the leadership of the party would address the aspirants’ grievances in an open and transparent manner before the convention.
Adeyeye said: “We are putting our resources in place to address all the fears earlier reported by some national chairmanship aspirants.
“One of the steps being taken by the leadership is to make available and in good time, the comprehensive names of all the delegates for the national convention to all the aspirants before the convention.
“We therefore see no reason for any honest member of this great party to want to disrupt our programmes, except they are of course working for the ruling party, the APC.”
The party appealed to aggrieved aspirants and members to take advantage of available internal conflict resolution channels to ventilate their opinions, concerns and grievances.
It vowed to resist any move by anyone to sabotage the convention, saying however that there was very little the party could do to dissuade members that may have decided to become paid agents of the APC.
The party spokesman cited the arrest and detention of some key PDP stakeholders on what he described as trump up charges of corruption, saying that the ruling APC had already targeted no fewer than 50 of its prominent members for arrest and incarceration.
Adeyeye said: “The APC propagandists said we were crying wolf. Now we are being vindicated by the continuing and unrelenting arrest, intimidation and harassment of our top leaders.
“In the last one week, the former governor of Taraba State, Mr. Abubakar Danladi, and the former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, two prominent members of our party, were arrested by the anti-graft agency, the EFCC.
“This is apart from the five that were earlier arrested within the month of November. We don’t know who will be next in the list.”
The PDP called on Nigerians and the international community to be vigilant and to ensure that the APC did not entrench full blown dictatorship in the country.
“The only reason why the APC is hell bent on killing the opposition in Nigeria is due to its non-performance and inability to deliver on its campaign promises.
“They have failed Nigerians and they know too well that they can no longer convince Nigerians to vote for them again in 2019.
“We want to assure members of our party nationwide that the leadership of the party, led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, will provide an enabling environment and a level playing field for all those contesting for one position or the other before and after the national convention.
“We pledged to ensure a transparent, free and fair election, and by the grace of God, we are going to conduct the most democratic election in the history of any political party in Nigeria,” the party spokesman said.
Reacting to PDP’s allegation yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi dismissed it as baseless, adding that it was a clear indication that the party has lost direction and control of its members.
Abdullahi said: “What does that mean? I don’t understand. That we are going to organise a parallel convention for them or what? I mean, if those people they are alleging are actually their members, shouldn’t they be ashamed to say we are sponsoring them? Does it make sense at all?
“Those people are confused. How can you come out and say that your opponent is sponsoring your members?
“It is like saying that my neigbour is using my children against me or that somebody is inciting my wife against me.”
source:http://thenationonlineng.net/pdp-accuses-apc-plot-sabotage-convention-2/
Citing “intelligence reports”, the PDP said the ruling party has perfected plans to sponsor a parallel convention, using some unscrupulous members of the PDP to hold a parallel convention.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the aim of the APC was to factionalise and destroy the opposition ahead of the 2019 elections.
Adeyeye appealed to PDP members across the federation to resist such temptation, saying the party was doing everything to address grievances among its aspirants to the various executive positions ahead of the December 9 convention.
He said: “We are not completely oblivious of the plans by the APC to sabotage our convention.
“Apart from the internal fighting within the APC, one of the reasons why the party postponed its national convention till next year was to enable it closely monitor our convention with a view to destabilising our party ahead of the 2019 general elections.
“The National Caretaker Committee has uncovered plans by some unscrupulous members of our party to hold a parallel national convention on December 9, 2017.
“This is totally uncalled for and a complete act of sabotage. Those making such plans cannot be said to be honest members of our party, the PDP. They are not patriotic but just out to destroy our party.
“The planned parallel convention is one of those ideas of the APC to create divisions amongst members of our party.
“It will be most unfortunate for members of our party to allow themselves to be used against the party, especially in the light of our recent painful experience.
“These are all part of the agenda of the APC to create an atmosphere of fear and insecurity around PDP members before and after the national convention.
“It is also part of the overall strategy of the ruling party to turn Nigeria into a one party state.
“The National Caretaker Committee has been working very hard to carry all party members and supporters of the party along in all the preparations for the forthcoming national convention holding on December 9 – 10, 2017.”
According to him, the plot by the APC was to capitalise on disagreements among the chairmanship aspirants of the PDP, assuring that the leadership of the party would address the aspirants’ grievances in an open and transparent manner before the convention.
Adeyeye said: “We are putting our resources in place to address all the fears earlier reported by some national chairmanship aspirants.
“One of the steps being taken by the leadership is to make available and in good time, the comprehensive names of all the delegates for the national convention to all the aspirants before the convention.
“We therefore see no reason for any honest member of this great party to want to disrupt our programmes, except they are of course working for the ruling party, the APC.”
The party appealed to aggrieved aspirants and members to take advantage of available internal conflict resolution channels to ventilate their opinions, concerns and grievances.
It vowed to resist any move by anyone to sabotage the convention, saying however that there was very little the party could do to dissuade members that may have decided to become paid agents of the APC.
The party spokesman cited the arrest and detention of some key PDP stakeholders on what he described as trump up charges of corruption, saying that the ruling APC had already targeted no fewer than 50 of its prominent members for arrest and incarceration.
Adeyeye said: “The APC propagandists said we were crying wolf. Now we are being vindicated by the continuing and unrelenting arrest, intimidation and harassment of our top leaders.
“In the last one week, the former governor of Taraba State, Mr. Abubakar Danladi, and the former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, two prominent members of our party, were arrested by the anti-graft agency, the EFCC.
“This is apart from the five that were earlier arrested within the month of November. We don’t know who will be next in the list.”
The PDP called on Nigerians and the international community to be vigilant and to ensure that the APC did not entrench full blown dictatorship in the country.
“The only reason why the APC is hell bent on killing the opposition in Nigeria is due to its non-performance and inability to deliver on its campaign promises.
“They have failed Nigerians and they know too well that they can no longer convince Nigerians to vote for them again in 2019.
“We want to assure members of our party nationwide that the leadership of the party, led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, will provide an enabling environment and a level playing field for all those contesting for one position or the other before and after the national convention.
“We pledged to ensure a transparent, free and fair election, and by the grace of God, we are going to conduct the most democratic election in the history of any political party in Nigeria,” the party spokesman said.
Reacting to PDP’s allegation yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi dismissed it as baseless, adding that it was a clear indication that the party has lost direction and control of its members.
Abdullahi said: “What does that mean? I don’t understand. That we are going to organise a parallel convention for them or what? I mean, if those people they are alleging are actually their members, shouldn’t they be ashamed to say we are sponsoring them? Does it make sense at all?
“Those people are confused. How can you come out and say that your opponent is sponsoring your members?
“It is like saying that my neigbour is using my children against me or that somebody is inciting my wife against me.”
source:http://thenationonlineng.net/pdp-accuses-apc-plot-sabotage-convention-2/