The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday insisted that no amount of blackmail and wild allegations against President Goodluck Jonathan can exonerate the All Progressives Congress (APC) of blame for insurgency and wave of violence ravaging some northern states of the country.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Monday said the memory of Nigerians is not short on the body language and inciting utterances of APC leaders, including their Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, which have served as fuel to the raging flame of terrorism.
The PDP was however silent on the attack on Buhari some months ago while he was on his way to Daura, his hometown.
The attack had led to the death of many other people including Buhari’s security detail, but the APC presidential candidate survived the attack.
Metuh’s statement, by going to the international media recently to distance themselves from complicity and in turning round to blame the PDP, the APC is asking Nigerians to suddenly grow forgetful of the barrage of statements by their leaders that promoted insurgency in the country.
The party observed that whereas a statesmanly statement from a person of General Buhari’s age and status could have helped douse the tension in the land, the APC flagbearer chose incendiary remarks, which emboldened insurgents, apparently in keeping with the agenda of his party to achieve political control through violence.
The PDP compared the attitude of APC leaders on insurgency to the metaphor of a young man sent on a criminal mission by the father, whose boldness knows no bounds.
“Nigerians have not forgotten the spontaneous violence and mayhem on innocent citizens following inciting statements by Buhari and other APC leaders then in the defunct CPC, upon losing the 2011 presidential election,” Metuh said.
“The APC leaders have so far left no Nigerian in doubt of their party’s violent disposition as General Buhari in May 2012, remorselessly stated that ‘the monkey and baboon will be soaked in blood’ should he lose the 2015 presidential election.
“Attesting that penchant for violence flows in the portal vein of the rank and file of the APC, Buhari’s Man-Friday and former FCT Minister, Malam Nasir El-Rufai in his capacity then as APC Deputy National Secretary, in January 2014, told the whole world that ‘the next election is likely to be violent and many people are likely going to die. And the only alternative left to get power is to take it by force; this is the reality on ground.’”
Metuh pointed out that Nigerians have also read and heard other ricocheting calls for violence and threats of parallel government from other leaders of this same party.
He maintained that the incidents were not just mere slips but incontrovertible snips from the agenda of the APC to sustain insurgency and set the stage for carnage after they lose in the 2015 general elections.
“We find it funny that the APC which has presented its flagbearer, General Buhari as a macho mascot that will bring insurgency to an end in matter of weeks using sheer force, is turning round to play the card of dialogue just to disparage the President,” Metuh continued.
“Ironically, for over a year of General Buhari’s draconian rule in the 1980s and even now in pretended love for democracy, the General is never known to be amenable to any form of dialogue. So, where will this hyped Midas touch on dialogue come from?
“Well-meaning Nigerians appreciate the way and manner the Jonathan administration is confronting insurgency using dialogue and military option. Twice, the Council of State has appraised and endorsed this approach despite spirited efforts by the opposition to distract the President and demoralize our security forces.”
However, while responding to the statement which was also posted on the Facebook wall of the party, one Samsticks Meilyn Idoko simply said: “Nonsense…You knew this and you didn’t put them in their place a long time ago? PDP is always blaming other people for their failures…”
Meanwhile, the PDP Youth Vanguard said it has thrown its weight behind Metuh and that no amount of plans by the opposition to tarnish his image would make the group back down.
Crescent Ogbu, the National Publicity Secretary, of the group said: “We have noticed the attack on the person of the National Publicity Secretary of our great party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, by the All Progressives Congress (APC), using one of its numerous faceless groups, this time, The Salvage Group.
“We know that the APC leaders have lost credibility and have no other option than to adopt the use of phony groups in addition to pseudonyms in the social media to castigate our party and its leadership. We would like to assure them that their agenda has failed abysmally woefully.
“For the avoidance of doubt, all members of the PDP are solidly behind Chief Metuh and we are satisfied with the way and manner he has been discharging his duties as the image-maker of our great party, especially in highlighting the ideology and achievements of the PDP while exposing the undemocratic tendencies of the APC and its agenda to destroy our nation.
“We are not surprised that the APC has continued to attack the person and office of our National Publicity Secretary which is part of their plot to tarnish his image, cow him and deny the PDP a credible voice.
“We know that the APC is hurt because our party’s publicity machinery ably coordinated by Chief Metuh promptly exposed the incompetence of its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, and the fact that the party is being controlled by a power hungry cabal led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, whose mission is to take over the economic and political interests of the nation.
“APC leaders are angry because their fake messianic posture and sinister agenda have come to light and Nigerians are no longer fooled by their antics. For this we have no apologies because for Chief Metuh, it is Nigeria first and not any godfather or selfish interest.
“The APC must realize that they are fighting a lost battle. Our presidential flagbearer, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, will defeat General Buhari any day any time. He has done it before and he will do it again. Nigerians will continue to support the PDP.”