Reps PDP caucus allege plot by APC to muzzle opposition

Group disowns Enugu peace parley, aspirants sign peace accord

Members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus of the House of Representatives yesterday rose from an emergency meeting insisting that there were moves by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to muzzle opposition.

The House Deputy Minority Leader, Mr. Chukwuma Onyema in a statement on behalf of the group called on Nigerians to resist such anti-democratic ploys aimed at neutralizing political opposition before the 2019 elections.The group noted that it was very unfortunate that both the ruling party and the government have denied the existence of such an agenda already being carried out.

Saying the arrests were due to the failure by the APC led government to live up to its campaign promises, the caucus expressed disappointment that an anti graft outfit like the EFCC has been drawn into the secret agenda.

It noted: “All people of goodwill must feel concerned that this government seems poised to continue its clueless bumbling from one miscalculation to another, with a desperate hope that government agencies like EFCC can be used for strong-arm tactics against the opposition towards guaranteeing APC and its failed propaganda machinery an undeserved victory in 2019.

“It will not work because no matter what desperate plan they hatch, PDP is coming into power in 2019. No one should be deceived or lulled into inaction by the APC denial of their agenda for politicized arrests in the countdown to 2019.’’

APC’s Spokesperson, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, had last week while reacting to such claim denied allegations that the party was keen on muzzling the opposition parties in the polity.

According to him: “We are a political party, we don’t arrest people. So if anybody has issue with people who have the power of arrest and interrogation, they should go and deal with them.

“You don’t politicize it. We here our business is that of winning elections. We are a political party and winning souls for the party. We don’t arrest people. So if anybody is being arrested, it is not our business but if you have issues with law enforcers, you should go and answer the question. So, there is nothing political about it.”

Meanwhile, the South West caucus of the PDP has dissociated themselves from the peace parley organised by some governors and some aspirants in Enugu for the national chairmanship of the party.And with the exception of Chief Bode George, all other aspirants for the position of National Chairman of the PDP signed a peace accord at the party’s national secretariat yesterday.

Chairman of the party’s national caretaker committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, however explained that George promised to sign the document today.
The aspirants who signed the document are Tunde Adeniran, Uche Secondus, Gbenga Daniel, Raymond Dokpesi, Rasheed Ladoja, Jimi Agbaje and Taoheed Adedoja.

Signing the peace document alongside their campaign directors, the aspirants pledged to avoid the use of hate speech and foul languages during their campaigns.

The document stated that all aspirants would support whoever emerges winner in the December 9, 2017 convention.The aspirants equally promised to avoid use of ethnic and religious sentiment in their campaigns.They agreed to avoid use of money as means of wooing candidates.