By Saawua Terzungwe
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and recall its certificate of registration given that it allegedly has no operational structures as required by law.
This followed the dissolution of ward and state executives of the APC by the National Executive Committee (NEC) on Tuesday in Abuja.
The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, also asked INEC to declare the seats of all lawmakers elected on the platform of APC at the federal and state levels as vacant and commence the process of by-election to fill the seats, as required by law.
The PDP said, “The APC being overburdened by the weight of failure, humongous corruption as well as the plagues of economic recession, violence, killings and hardship it has brought to our people, forcefully exited itself from the nation’s political firmament by dissolving all its national, zonal and state structures.”
“With this exit, December 8, 2020 has gone into the history of our nation as liberation day, especially given the spontaneous jubilation by Nigerians over this step towards political oblivion by a political party that has brought so much pain on them.
“Furthermore, government agencies, civil society organizations as well as the international community should immediately gazette the APC as a defunct political organization in our country.
“Nevertheless, the PDP invites all leaders of the fizzled APC to get ready to answer Nigerians for their misdeeds, and not to think they can get away with their atrocities by forming or joining another political party,” the PDP added.
APC kicks
But reacting, the APC in a statement by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena said, “the PDP leadership has gone senile”, adding it was a beer parlour rant.
“Our democracy is in desperate need of opposition. If the PDP assumes this as its standard of opposition politics, then our democracy is in danger. It is now clear that the PDP’s disillusion following their rejection by Nigerians in the 2011 and 2019 general elections has degenerated into senility.
“It is common knowledge that the PDP leadership is currently facing a serious crisis of confidence as a result of it rudderless leadership. However, it will seem that the PDP crisis has been grossly underplayed. How does one explain the public rebuke by the former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki to the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus to stay clear of the party’s reconciliation efforts?
“With the PDP as the supposed ‘main opposition’ lacking the capacity to provide rigorous and intelligent interrogation of the policies and programmes of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration, we reiterate our frustration that the PDP is pushing Nigeria into a one-party state which the APC does not subscribe to.
“In place of the failed PDP, we repeat our call to other opposition parties to seize the opportunity and play the true role of opposition which our democracy and governance needs to flourish.
“Finally, it is commendable that the PDP has taken a keen interest in the APC’s internal party processes, particularly the virtual APC National Executive Committee (NEC) held on Tuesday. However, it is our sincere hope that the PDP learns a thing or two on proper party management, progressive politics and internal democracy. The PDP can start by paying its staff salaries,” the ruling party said.
Read the original article on Daily Trust.