Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said it will not accept an interim government or any other form of unconstitutional governance in the country.
On Monday, Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said government uncovered plots by the opposition to unleash violence in the forthcoming general election, with the aim of scuttling the polls.
But the PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, said the party is confident that its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will win the February 16 presidential poll; with a landslide and that it rejects any insinuation of an interim government after the polls.
The party said: “Every Nigerian knows the desperation of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Buhari Presidency; ahead of the 2019 general election, leading to their resort to threats, intimidation and clampdown on dissenting voices, as well as, assault on institutions of democracy, in the face of incontrovertible indices pointing to their imminent crushing defeat at the polls.
“The PDP has already alerted Nigerians that Alhaji Lai Mohammed has let out APC’s ignoble ‘Plan B’ of ‘if we can’t have it, then, destroy it,’ which is to cause violence, derail the electoral process and blame it on the opposition; not minding the damage such could cause the nation, including human and material losses. We hope such cruel plot, as revealed by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, is not the underlining reason behind the APC administration’s alleged neglect and undermining of our security forces fighting in the fronts. The PDP demands that Alhaji Mohammed comes clear on the source of his information, if it is not a plot being hatched by the APC.
“He should tell Nigerians if his source was the police, the military or the Directorate of State Services, so that they can appropriately channel their concerns.
“The PDP, therefore, urges Nigerians to be at alert and keep an eye on the APC.”
In a related development, the PDP has charged President Muhammadu Buhari not to restrict prosecution of his allies, who were accused of corruption, to only the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and former director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayodele Oke.
The opposition party noted that by singling out Lawal and Oke for prosecution, while allegedly providing official cover of other “indicted “leaders of the APC, and other of his close associates, president Buhari has confirmed that he is partisan in the prosecution of the war against corruption.
“Moreover, the fact that, according to Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Mr. President had to give his nod before Babachir and Oke could be prosecuted, also goes to further confirm that president Buhari has annexed the system and directly determines who is prosecuted and who is spared.
“The PDP, therefore, challenges president Buhari to immediately order the prosecution of all APC leaders, particularly members of his Presidential Campaign Council, beginning with the APC factional National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, the campaign Director-General, Rotimi Amaechi, other directors and zonal coordinators, who have allegations of corruption hanging on their necks…”