Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Ahead of the February 16 presidential poll, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the Federal Government cannot stop it from holding its mega presidential rally in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, who stated this at a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday, accused the Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to scuttle the plans of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to hold his campaign rally in Abuja.
Ologbondiyan explained that the opposition party has paid and secured approval for the use of the old Parade Ground, Abuja , for its presidential rally yesterday, only to be informed at the last minute that they cannot use the facility.
The PDP spokesman noted that the decision to deny Atiku the use of the facility wass part of an alleged plot by the Presidency and the ruling party to enmesh the forthcoming election in crisis so as to “achieve their self-succession bid.
“We invite the world to note that this latest assault against the people’s candidate is also borne out of direct ill-will and hatred against him by President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as his handlers, who have sought all ways to drag him down, since they realized that Nigerians have reached a consensus on Atiku Abubakar as the next president of our country,” he claimed.
Ologbondiyan, who is also the Director of Media and Publicity ,PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, added “let it be known to President Buhari and the APC that the PDP and the people’s candidate will definitely hold our presidential mega rally in Abuja irrespective of any further encumbrance they may attempt to foist.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us and nobody can stop us from exercising our constitutionally guaranteed right of holding our rally in the FCT or any other part of our country for that matter. We will hold a rally in Abuja. Nobody can stop us. The world will hear us.”
He warned the government and the APC to note that with the level of support Atiku enjoys across the country and in the international community any assault on him is a direct assault on the overall aspiration and sensibilities of Nigerians as a whole.