The statement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that
Nigeria would become a one-party state has been described as evidence that the
ruling party is plotting third term presidency for President Muhammadu Buhari
by masterminding a one-party state in Nigeria.
APC in a statement signed by the National Publicity
Secretary, Lanre Onilu said Nigeria deserves a strong, vibrant opposition to
play its conventional role in the polity to deepen democracy. Sadly, Nigeria is
becoming a one-party state. As a party that believes in democracy and
progressive politics, we cannot pretend any longer.
He also said:
"Democracy cannot be said to be fully operational in a situation
where the supposed 'main' opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has
become a joke, irresponsible and rudderless."
Addressing a press conference Sunday in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan said: "The Buhari
presidency came out to claim that there are agitators for a third term. We
quickly pointed it out to them that there are no agitators, rather if there is
anything, it is the Buhari Presidency who is bringing the third term to the
issue of national discourse. We are assured them given the magnificent failures
of this Buhari
Presidency, Nigerians are not ready to discuss it even the
conclusion of this terms
"From there, they have moved to the issue of one party
state and bringing it to national disc
ourse, even that, it is totally unacceptable to us and I want those who are
advising the president on this issue to back of,
"They now came out to claim that the major opposition
party is dead. We want to
state clearly that our party is the consensus political
party of the majority of Nigerians and our party after a long journey of
overhauling has become the centre for
seeking for power and good governance in
our nation,. The PDP does not contain certificate forgers, it is not party of people who are contrivers. Out political
party is relating directly with Nigerians people and we are working
assiduously to make
sure that democratic tenets of our
nation is not only entrenched but seen to be entrenched in our nation. As we do
not have space to response to the gimmicks of former democrats who went
around the nation and brought in a despot into a democratic order neither do we have space
to engage in verbal discussion with characters who are known to be pillaging
and stealing directly from the matrimony
of our nation. As such we are not going to respond to the innuendos of such
characters are banding.
"The PDP remains the bastion of democracy in our
nation. PDP is in the Supreme Court to
ensure that the mandate which was given to Atiku and has been stolen is
restored to us.
When the PDP took a decision to ensure that we create alternative government, ours
was to make suggestion on how god governance was to be entrenched on our
country. PDP has been carrying out that responsibility. As far as APC needs to
know, our nation has survived
dictators. We have succeeded as apoeple to ensure that those
who seek to rule us without our consent do not succeed and as such, it is
strange and totally unacceptable that the APC and the Buhari
presidency will within its whimsical thinking claim
that Nigeria will become a one party
state. This country is a resilient
nation and no individual no matter how highly placed in the past has succeeded
in reducing us to a nation of cowards. Even today it will be unacceptable to
Nigerians to be so reduced. So PDPwill continue to play it is opposition role
and we will play it successfully.
But addressing a press conference Sunday, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan said that the statement by
the APC is gradually showing Nigerians where the plots of the third term is
coming from and those behind it.
He said,
"Nigerians will now come to terms on where the plot of third terms
of extra four years for President Buhari is coming from. This is their dreams
of third term and one-party state. .
According to PDP,
"APC is the agitators for the third term and now, and they are planning
to make Nigeria to become a one-party state.. We now know those behind this game of one party
system and we equally warn them to back
off or face the consequences of Nigerians and all lovers of democracy all over
the world.
"PDP as the main opposition party in the country we
are in court seeking the restoration of
our stolen presidential mandate.
"We want to claim clearly that PDP is the consensus
political party. PDP is the main
opposition party in Nigeria. We don't have space to engage with the despot and PDP
remains the boston of democracy in Nigeria.
PDP will survive dictators and it is unbelievable that APC
will be thinking that Nigeria will
become a one-party country and PDP will play this opposition role successfully
till we recover our stolen mandate", PDP spokesman said.
Meanwhile, PDP while addressing a press conference
Sunday rejected the moves by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All
Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government to further gag the media,
subjugate Nigerians and curtail their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of
expression.
The party said that
the decision by President Buhari to impose stringent regulations on
online media and broadcast organisations as recently announced by the Minister
of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, is completely obnoxious,
anti-democratic and a direct violation of statutory rules governing media
practice and freedom of expression in Nigeria.
According to the spokesperson of PDP, kola Ologbondiyan at the press
conference said that it rejects the
Presidential declaration of political comments as “Class A” offence, insisting
that such is designed to undermine the nation’s constitutional democracy,
exterminate the rights of citizens to dissenting public opinion, emasculate the
opposition and foist a dictatorship and one party system on the nation.
According to PDP,
"Our party alerts that such moves amount to an attempt to amend our
constitution to take away the rights of citizens and undermine our democratic
institutions; a development that has the capacity to destabilize our dear
nation.
"The PDP invites Nigerians to note that these
dictatorial pathways which the Buhari Presidency seeks to impose, if allowed,
will herald the gradual emasculation of freedom of expression, repression of
free press, infringements on the rights of citizens and foisting of siege
mentality on the people.
"Nigerians are already apprehensive that the directive
is geared towards clearing the ground for the introduction of certain harsh
policies in our country".
The party insisted that the constitution has made enough
provisions to guide media practice as well as the exercise of freedom of
expression, adding that the foisting of unconstitutional and suppressive
regulations is not acceptable under any guise.
The party therefore called on the members of the National
Assembly, as the representatives of the people, to reject this Presidential
directive in the interest of the nation.
It also admonished President Muhammadu Buhari and his
advisers not to derail the nation with such undemocratic policies.
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