Abia PDP Threatens To Sanction Members For Granting Press Interviews

The Peoples Democratic Party in Abia State has threatened to take disciplinary actions against any member who grants”unauthorized” interview to the press after expressing dismay at the way some members grant interviews to journalists.

The party in a statement on Monday wondered why some members will issue unauthorized press release just to attack and ridicule the party.

The PDP further described as unwarranted, the attacks from members who it feels has reached the pinnacle of their political careers using the platform of the PDP and have now suddenly turned against the party because recent political developments in the state did not favour them.

The statement which was signed by Hon. Elder Amah Abraham,
Acting Vice Chairman, also accused those behind the act of being in the payroll of opposition parties.

The statement reads in part:

“The Abia PDP has noticed with utter dismay the way and manner some members of our great Party grant unauthorised press interviews, releases and statements just to attack, ridicule and embarrass the government and the Party. We have information that these people are on the payroll of the opposition Parties and that is totally unacceptable.

“These unwarranted attacks are quite unfortunate and unbecoming, especially coming from members who reached the pinnacle of their political careers using the platform of the PDP. They have suddenly turned against the Party because recent political developments did not favour their selfish interests and they think the only way they can come back into the mainstream is to paint the Party black in the eyes of the innocent and unsuspecting public.

“Regrettably, none of these persons has taken time to offer any advice, let alone be useful, to the government or leadership of the Party through either a memo or visit but find it convenient to take to the media platforms to embarrass the government, Party leadership and the Party in general.

“Surprisingly, those who lampoon the government and the Party do not for once sit back and go though their own public service records and accomplishments and compare them with the present government’s. We have the record of someone who has served in the Senate for upwards 15 years without as little as an asphalted five-kilometre road in his constituency to his credit or any other tangible project for that matter. Yet, he keeps talking about the failures of the government. Such persons should emulate the ideals displayed by elder statesman and former governor, Distinguished Senator T. A. Orji who willingly retired from the Senate after a meritorious two-term, with many projects to his credit. We advise the affected constituents to compare both Senators and judge for themselves.

“Similarly, someone who could not manage an income-generating State enterprise and left a backlog of salaries has suddenly transformed into a social critic with the audacity to talk about misgovernance in Abia State and a view to using that channel to get back into government to display his misfit. Anyone who thinks he can get back into government by attacking the government or the Party is making a very big mistake.

“Inasmuch as the Party ascribes to the principle of freedom of speech as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal of the Republic of Nigeria, we will not sit by and watch traducers denigrate the good works the State leadership of the Party is doing to maintain our Party’s lead in the State and its vision to dislodge the ruling Party at the centre.

“We therefore warn our members who are in the habit of insulting the Party and its leadership through needless utterances and press briefings to desist from such unpatriotic actions. We shall henceforth, no longer tolerate such attacks from any of our Party members and will not fail to activate the necessary disciplinary measures.

“Let us all join hands to build the Abia of our collective dream”.