It has been a day of verbal grenades as PDP took leaders of opposition CPC and ACN to the cleaners ,while CPC in a separate statement also slammed what it called the “bumbling and fumbling presidency” over its handling of unfolding national crisis
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a statement today told the leader of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and his ally, the national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to stop parading themselves as saints and democrats saying Nigerians already know their dictatorial antecedents.
The ruling party took stock of activities of the two men and submitted that they are bitter because they know that “they will lose the 2015 general election despite the so called merger of their parties which is built on deceit, corruption and falsehood and as such want to invent excuses” ahead of time.
PDP Acting National Publicity Secretary, Barr. Tony Caesar Okeke in a statement in Abuja sclaimed that “Buhari and Tinubu who are well-known despots lacked the moral justification to pontificate on democracy especially when all their actions are dictatorial.”
The PDP said the CPC in castigating Buhari’s former aide, Yinka Odumakin for exposing the atrocities of the CPC leader and those of ACN officials in a recent statement shows the CPC as a party characterized by falsehood.
“Buhari has refused to change his dictatorial tendencies. He has continued to impose himself as leader of any political party where he finds himself and use his despotic powers to handpick candidates for elections. In 2003, he forced John Nwodo Jr. and other presidential
candidates in the then APP to step down for him leading to the famous I weep for Nigeria statement by Nwodo. In 2003 Buhari imposed himself and failed. In 2007 and 2011 he imposed himself and failed. If he imposes himself and his lackey Tinubu or Tinubu’s wife as running-mate in 2015, he will also fail”, the party said.
The statement also described Tinubu as a man lacking in democratic credentials and as such should learn to advice himself before pouring lame vituperations on the PDP especially with regard to issues of internal democracy.
“Tinubu has been going around making statements to portray himself as a hero of democracy from which imaginary pedestal he continues to vilify and accuse the PDP of working against Nigeria’s democracy.
“It is to say the least, rather pathetic that the opposition leader has failed to realize that Nigerians have since become fully aware of his double facedness as he has continued to exhibit crass dictatorship in the leadership of the ACN and states controlled by the ACN through which he has continued to syphon the resources of the states.
“It is on record that the so called democrat crowned himself the national leader of the ACN without recourse to appropriate democratic process. It is also on record that Tinubu forced the former Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora to leave the Senate, despite his enviable performance, only to replace him with his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu who has made no meaningful contribution since she got to the Senate more than two years ago thereby depriving the good people of Lagos State effective representation in the Senate.
“Nigerians have not forgotten how Tinubu recently imposed his daughter, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, who is not a full-time trader to replace his late mother, Abibatu Mogaji as President-General of the Association of Nigerian Market Women and Men.
“Tinubu may wish to be reminded how he used his dictatorial powers to install his son in-law, Hon. Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo as a member representing Ijero/Efon/Ekiti West of Ekiti State in the House of Representatives while his daughter was imposed as a member of the Lagos state House of Assembly.
“It is still fresh in the minds of Nigerians that Tinubu recently tried to bar a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bamidele Opeyemi from contesting the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State, a despotic act which was widely condemned across the country.
“Nigerians have not forgotten that the same man who now parades himself as a champion of democracy ran away at the heat of the military dictatorship, leaving the struggle for acclaimed statesmen such as Pa. Abraham Adesaya, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Dr. Alex Ekwueme among others, just to return at the end of the struggle to wangle his way to become
Governor of Lagos State.
“Buhari and Tinubu are united in dictatorship. It is on this pedestal that they are pursuing their merger to register the All Progressive Congress which manifesto betrays the fact that they have absolutely nothing to offer but desperate for power for their selfish gains.
“We urge all lovers of democracy especially those seeking elections on the platform of any party where the duo are in control to wake up before it is too late as there will not be any primaries to give them a level play ground to realize their dreams.
“Nigerians in general should also note the antecedents of these politicians and their cronies and know that any government where they are allowed to hold sway will be a terrible government characterized by dictatorship, corruption and abuse of the right of Nigerians”, the statement said.
In its statement today the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) also said it has again noted “with regret the un-meritorious state of Nigeria under the leadership of President Good-luck Jonathan. The Jonathan regime seeks to farm out the Nation as a fiefdom for gratifying the whims and caprices of the President and his wife!
Spokesman of CPC ,Rotimi Fashakin said “The intractable crisis in Rivers state, undoubtedly stoked by the bellicosity of the first family, remains blight in the unenviable tenure of the Jonathan regime thus far. The recent Freudian slip from Mrs. Patience Good-luck-Jonathan as the raison d’etre for her pugnacious stance against peaceful governance in Rivers state is a real cause for concern. It further revealed a four-year incubation of a dastardly plot by the President’s wife to destabilize a federating unit within a Federal state! The partisanship of the Nigeria Police – under Mr. Mohammed Abubakar- is a huge reversal of whatever gains that had been made in the Police since the end of the second republic in 1983. It was in the second republic (1979-1983) that the police was used as a tool by the Federal Government in undermining the federating states within the Nigerian state. We recall how the old Anambra state commissioner of Police, Mr. Bishop Eyitene, was planted as a thorn in the flesh of the state governor, Mr. Jim Nwobodo.
He added that “What is playing out in Rivers state seems, to us at CPC, as a rehash of that unfortunate narrative. The current leadership of the Nigeria Police has shown such partisanship that betrays its complicity in the exacerbation of the Rivers crisis. The invitation for questioning of Mr. Chidi Lloyd, the majority leader, and the security details of the Rivers State Governor without a concomitant invitation to the infamous five legislators that purportedly sat (in an inquorate manner) to impeach a speaker installed by a 32-member Assembly, only showed a Police leadership that is not willing to assert its autonomy under the meddlesomeness of a bumbling and fumbling Presidency. As a Party, we have also noted last week’s reshuffling of the security aides around the Rivers Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, without his knowledge – a practice that runs foul against decency and apolitical professionalism!
“As a Party, we have noted that the greatest tragedy of the Nigerian state is being under the leadership of a President with unlearned lessons on basic leadership. We applaud the sagacity of the Nigerian Senate in jettisoning the self-serving single six-year tenure proposal by the Presidency. Indeed, the National Assembly members, as the representatives of the people, heeded the voice of reason. Once again, we call on the National Assembly to wield the big stick of impeachment, if necessary, in restoring normalcy and order to Rivers state”,CPC said
