Ali Abare, Gombe
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war as mere cosmetics.
At a press briefing to mark the end of an all-night marathon meeting of its governors, as well as its National Working Committee (NWC) in Gombe, yesterday, the PDP also raised the alarm over alleged intimidation and harassment of its members by the All Progressives Congress (APC), which the party said is capable of truncating the country’s democracy.
The party decried alleged intimidation of its aspirants in mostly APC-controlled states, particularly in Kogi, Nasarawa and Kaduna states, and called on well-meaning Nigerians as well as the international community to prevail on the ruling party to avoid acts capable of derailing the country’s democracy.
Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, read the resolutions of the meeting and noted that it is the same democracy that the APC rode on to power in 2015, which he said, the party inherited from the PDP that it is now bent on destroying.
“We want to say that if the intimidation of our aspirants should continue, it has the potential to truncate our hard earned democracy,” Fayose warned.
The PDP added that the alleged use of brute force against its members is an indication of the level of desperation within the ranks of the ruling party ahead of the 2019 general election.
On the fight against corruption, the PDP dismissed the fight as “mere cosmetics and a battle against perceived political opponents,” and stressed that “the recent Transparency International report on Nigeria really confirmed that corruption is on the increase under the Buhari presidency.”
Also, as part of its resolution, the PDP condemned the recent abduction of over 100 girls in Dapchi, Yobe State and described the incident as unfortunate and sad.
The party said the latest abduction of the girls negates the promises made by the APC-led Federal Government when it came to power promising to protect lives and property.
“Today, they spend huge amount of money on security but, instead of the situation to get better, it’s rather getting worse by the day; making it impossible for Nigerians to sleep with their eyes closed,” the PDP said.
Seven governors attended the meeting while deputy governors of Bayelsa and Enugu states represented their governors.
Governors who attended the meeting were Fayose (Ekiti), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Benedict Ayade (Cross River), Emmanuel Udom (Akwa-Ibom) and Dankwambo, the host. Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and the party’s National Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus, were not at the meeting.