APC plans parallel convention on Dec 9, PDP raises the alarm

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over plans by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to sponsor a parrell convention during their December 9 National elective convention which will hold in Abuja.

According to the PDP, the move is to give a false impression that the party is still fractionalized and send the wrong signal that the party is still enmeshed in its old habit of imposition of candidates and lack of respect for democratic process.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, disclosed this development on Friday while addressing journalists in Abuja.

He also stated that the move was parts of the plans of the ruling party to crack down all opposition parties and make Nigeria a one party state arising from their inability to fulfill their electoral promises.

But Adeyeye stated that the Independently National Electoral Commission (INEC) is aware of the party’s convention activities and will not recognize the efforts of the detractors.

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 to next year was to enable it to monitor closely our convention with a view to destabilizing our party ahead of the 2019 General Elections.

“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.

“We once again call on Nigerians and members of the international community to be vigilant to ensure that the APC does not institute 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”.

The party’s spokesman added that the PDP has been addressing some of the issues raised by some chairmanship aspirants and is putting in all efforts to provide level playing ground for all contestants.

He said, “The National Caretaker Committee is willing and ready to address all the concerns of our party members regarding the forthcoming National Convention. Members should take advantage of our open door policy to ventilate their opinions, concerns and grievances. We will not give room to anybody to find any excuse to sabotage the convention. We realize of course that there is little we can do to dissuade those who have decided to become paid agents of the ruling party”.

He went further to state that other plans hatched by the APC imcludes the ceaseless and unjustifiable arrest of the PDP members which will ultimately deter them from playing active opposition politics.

“Part of the agenda of the APC to sabotage our convention and destabilize our party is the arrest of leaders of our party on trump-up charges of corruption. We had cried out a few weeks ago that there was a list of about 50 top leaders of our party earmarked by the ruling party for arrest and incarceration. The APC propagandists said we were crying wolf. Now we’re 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”

He reassured members of the party nationwide that, the leadership of the party led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, CON, 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” he added.

Myke Uzendu, Abuja.