APC says there is nothing democratic about PDP

The All Progressives Congress(APC) says there is nothing democratic about the policies and practices of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Yekini Nabena,the APC acting National Publicity Secretary, said this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, while reacting to the eventual decision of the PDP to hold its National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

This, Nabena noted, was after Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers threatened to deal with the party if its national convention was held in another state against his decision.

“The PDP formed the Federal Government and many state governments for 16 years before Nigerians rejected it in 2015 for its many acts of corruption, impunity and waste.

“As events has shown, it is a misnomer to call the party, Peoples Democratic Party as there is nothing democratic about its policies and practices.

“The PDP to all intents and purposes has become the theatre of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike,”Nabena said.

He noted that recently, Gov. Wike threatened the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, other PDP presidential aspirants and leaders to teach them a bitter lesson if they dared to oppose his decision to host the PDP National Convention in Port Harcourt.

“Gov. Wike had his way.It is an open secret that Wike’s insistence on Port Harcourt is to manipulate and influence his choice of presidential candidate from the crowd of PDP presidential aspirants,”Nabena further said.

He added that it was surprising that the PDP with its supposed seasoned politicians would sit by and allow Gov. Wike to use the party as his personal property, to determine who gets what, when and how, and where party conventions must be held.

The APC spokesman wondered what could have happened to internal party democracy, which he added was obviously an alien concept to the PDP.

He said that the APC had ensured that its processes were inclusive and participatory.

He added that the progressive direct primaries method of electing party candidates introduced by the Adams Oshiomhole-led APC national leadership was a solid demonstration of the party’s drive to ensure that internal party democracy was adhered to.

“This is a departure from the cash and carry system institutionalised by the PDP.

“PDP members who genuinely believe in our progressive ideologies are encouraged to leave the sinking PDP and join the APC where their voices will be heard and decisions taken collectively,”Nabena said.

He added that such PDP members should;”leave the Wike Autocratic Party (WAP) for the Rivers State Governor and his minions, bent on foisting their unpopular and undemocratic will on the majority”.

According to Nabena, since assuming office after the disputed 2015 Rivers governorship election, Wike has assumed the role of de facto PDP National Chairman, sole administrator, Spokesman, Organising Secretary and Board of Trustee (BoT)Chairman.

The APC spokesman recalled Gov. Wike’s alleged imposition of an erstwhile PDP National Chairman without a formal convention on members of the party.

He also recalled Wike’s leaked telephone conversation allegedly threatening to kill officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) he allegedly paid to rig the Rivers re-run election in favour of the PDP.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the venue of the PDP national convention had been an issue among its leadership in the last one week until now.