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Romanus Ugwu, and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to fold up if it cannot fulfil financial obligations to staff at its national secretariat.
The party in a statement by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, expressed shock that despite funds the opposition party generated from sales of forms during the 2019 general elections and Edo and Ondo states governorship elections, it could not honour staff remunerations.
“Our current intervention is in respect of some Nigerians working at the national secretariat of PDP, but got sacked recently and illegally by the party. The number of staff sacked amounts to 50 per cent. The sacked staff have already dragged the PDP to the National Industrial Court in the suit no. NIC/ABJ/260/2020. It will amount to wickedness and lack of empathy for the dying PDP to continue to deny its staff what legally belongs to them, hence PDP should rather close shop. Although the above ugly experience is a culture in the opposition PDP, it is made worse since most of their leaders no longer have easy access to public funds to loot,” Nabena said.
The PDP, however, accused the APC of seeking to divert attention from its failures in managing the socio-economic and political challenges facing the country.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a reaction to the APC statement, said the ruling party had abandoned governance to seek consultancy jobs in other political parties.
He said the APC was desperate to divert the attention of Nigerians from the recent increase in pump price of fuel which had brought untold hardship on citizens, startling revelations from various #EndSARS panels of enquiry and last Saturday’s abduction of children in Zaria, Kaduna State by gunmen..
“By launching this childish smear campaign against our party, the APC has exposed its mortal fear over the reorganised PDP, being dazed by our vibrant opposition as well as relentless exposing of its failures and complicity of its leaders in humongous corruption in high places.
“The APC is discomfited by our repositioning as the rallying platform of Nigerians from all divides in their collective quest to rescue our nation from APC-imposed hardship, violence, bloodletting, decayed infrastructure and mortgaging of our nation to foreign interest.
“We are however not surprised that the APC will reduce itself to a confused busybody, having been overwhelmed by the burden of failure and repulsion of Nigerians to their wicked and exploitative policies,” Ologbondiyan said.
Meanwhile, Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) has approved the appointment of Senator Kashim Shettima as chair of the APC Cross River North Senatorial Campaign Council for the rescheduled December 5 legislative by-elections. Other members include Festus Keyamo, Goddy Jedy Agba, Anthony Ogah Dimo, Bala Mohammed Gwagwarwa, Joshua Akpan and Stella Oketete as secretary.
