The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over alleged plot by the Federal Government to frame up and humiliate Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, governors Nyesom Wike and Ayodele Fayose of Rivers and Ekiti states respectively as well as its presidential hopefuls ahead of the 2019 general elections.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said to actualise the sinister plot, the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Federal Government has set up a presidential committee to persecute leaders of the opposition party.
Ologbondiyan, who spoke during a press conference at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja, however, vowed that they would resist all attempts to cow them.
Ekweramadu, recently, has been in the eye of the storm over alleged non-declaration of assets, particularly 22 houses scattered in different parts of the world, including Abuja.
Also, few days ago, Wike alleged plans by the government to set him up abroad.
The PDP spokesman said since the ruling party discovered that its chances in the 2019 general elections was becoming slimmer, it has decided to launch a frontal attack on leading opposition leaders, perceived presidential hopefuls and other credible Nigerians.
Ologbodiyan claimed the APC and the Federal Government have become “mortally afraid” of the PDP’s new status as a rallying point for Nigerians.
He said that was the reason the APC-led Federal Government in its desperate bid to win the 2019 general election has resorted to undemocratic activities under the guise of fighting corruption.
“You are already aware of the numerous exposed plots by the APC and its Federal Government to frame up and humiliate the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as well as PDP governors, particularly, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his Ekiti state counterpart, Governor Ayo Fayose.
“This is in addition to advanced plots by the Federal Government to clampdown on key leaders of the party and begin to drop in public places, alleged confessional statements made under duress in the desperate attempt to achieve a pre-determined end of validating the bandying of corruption allegations against members of the PDP.
“We have also been made aware of a special presidential committee put up by the APC Federal Government to persecute our leaders. Already, no fewer than 28 cases have been filed based on trumped up charges. Also, we are privy to series of clandestine meetings between agents of the APC and some compromised judicial officers to get conviction at all cost,” Ologbondiyan said.
He added: “Let it be known to all that this is a repositioned PDP that cannot be cowed and that we are more than able, willing and overtly ready to use all means practical and available within the ambits of the law and the principles of democracy to stiffly resist and stop the APC and the Federal Government in this evil scheme.
“We know that our governors, especially Governor Wike and Governor Fayose have been marked because of their principled position against the obvious incompetence, corruption and undemocratic credentials of the Buhari administration, for which Nigerians have been subjected to the worst form of suffering in the last three years.”
Ologbondiyan said in as much as the PDP was not against the fight against corruption, it would do everything within its power to protect its governors and leaders from undue harassment from the government.
“We are not opposed to the fight against corruption, which, of course, was started by our party, through the establishment of credible anti-corruption institutions. We, however, demand that prosecutions must be done in a credible, transparent, legitimate and constitutional manner. We will not allow the persecution of our members under the guise of the fight against corruption,” the stated.
However, reacting to the claim, the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullah said he had no comment to such statement from an idle party.
“Many people have requested for my reaction or comments to the statement credited to the PDP that the Federal Government has marked Senator Ekweremadu, governors Wike and Fayose for frame up. But I don’t have comment for such rubbish statement,” he said in anger and dropped the phone.
-Sun
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