2019: APC Muzzling Opposition For Sole Buhari Candidature – PDP

- Alleges Ploy To Humiliate Ekweremadu, Wike, Fayose

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged clandestine plots by certain agents of the federal government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to frame up and humiliate opposition and other dissenting voices.

The PDP in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Wednesday, said it has been alerted by heinous plot by the APC-led Federal Government to silence its members and supporters across the country.

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The main opposition party said it was drawing the attentions of the international community and world leaders to the APC’s ploy to foist a one-party state and push a self-succession bid for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

The PDP, which warned that it will not allow anybody tarnish the image any of its elected and appointed officials, urged the judiciary and security agencies to resist all attempts by the APC to set them against the provisions of the law and the will of the people.

The statement reads in part: “Today, in our country, there is an orchestrated plan by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government to use the state apparatus of power to coerce, emasculate and effectively decapitate opposition and other dissenting voices, foist a one-party state and push a self-succession bid for President Muhammadu Buhari, seeing that their chances of winning the presidential election gets slimmer by the day.

“You are already aware of the numerous exposed plots by the APC and its Federal Government to frame up and humiliate the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremmadu, as well as PDP governors, particularly, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his Ekiti state counterpart, Governor Ayo Fayose.

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“This is in addition to advanced plots by the Federal Government to clampdown on key leaders of the party and begin to drop in public places, alleged confessional statements made under duress in the desperate attempt to achieve a pre-determined end of validating the bandying of corruption allegations against members of the PDP.

“We have also been made aware of a special presidential committee put up by the APC Federal Government to persecute our leaders. Already, no fewer than 28 cases have been filed based on trumped up charges. Also we are privy to series of clandestine meetings between agents of the APC and some compromised judicial officers to get conviction at all cost.

“In the same vein, we are in the know of plots to embarrass credible individuals, particularly in the PDP, known or perceived to be interested in contesting the 2019 Presidential election, having realized that their party, the APC, is finally stuck with a very unpopular and rejected Presidential candidate, who can no longer command the support of Nigerians.

“The world is already aware of the unrelenting Gestapo style of persecution, arrests, detention and trial of opposition members as well as perceived opponents of the government, including innocent business concerns, under the guise of war against corruption.

“In the light of the above, the repositioned and rebranded PDP, under the new leadership, rallied by the Nigerian people, wants to state unequivocally and in the strongest possible term that it will not in any way fold its arms and accept any attempt by the APC and the Federal government to attack or undermine any of our leaders or members, or supporters at any level of political engagement.

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“Let it be known to all that this is a repositioned PDP that cannot be cowed and that we are more than able, willing and overtly ready to use all means practical and available within the ambits of the law and the principles of democracy to stiffly resist and stop the APC and the Federal Government in this evil scheme.

“The PDP will no longer allow anybody to tarnish any of our elected and appointed officials, particularly our state governors and leaders in the National Assembly and members of our Working Committees at the national, zonal, state and even at the grassroots levels and will do all within our laws to protect them.

“We want to therefore state that if this trend does not stop, we will not hesitate to call up our members and supporters in their millions in the collective effort to protect our democracy, using legitimate means provided by the laws of our land.

“It is obvious to all that the failed and rejected APC and its Federal Government are mortally afraid of the repositioned PDP that has become the new platform upon which Nigerians are now rallying to rescue our sinking ship of state from the APC at the 2019 general elections.

“We therefore directly caution the Buhari administration to desist from this attempt at foisting a siege mentality on the political class and citizenry as if we are under a military regime.”

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