PDP should stop drum of war

Conference of Nigerian Political Parties on Sunday said it was outraged with Peoples Democratic Party’s drum of war as 2015 general elections approach.

National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, was quoted as saying recently, “There is a heavy war ahead in 2015, as a group has come up and wants to sweep the mat off our feet.”

In its reaction, the CNPP said, “We are outraged because PDP is at it again. We have yet to recover from the drum of war earlier dished out by the desperate political party.

“We regrettably recall the post-electoral violence, which trailed Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s declaration of 2007 general elections as do-or-die-affair. Since then, it has been violence, violence and violence after each election, which renders families hopeless, fouls our democracy, breeds electoral apathy and impugnes on the character of politicians.”

Speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, the CNPP said, “We call on the security agencies, as a matter of urgent national importance, to query Alhaji Bamanga Tukur for his unpatriotic, undemocratic and inciting statement. For the least we expect from an elder statesman at this critical junction of unmitigated national insurgency is peace, peace and nothing but peace.”

Okechukwu added, “We challenge the PDP to release the Shiek Lemu Report, which gave vivid account on how the PDP stimulated post-2011-electoral violence.

“Tukur must be reminded that the 2015 general elections will be a referendum on the performance of the PDP Federal Government. Also that in the history of elections in liberal democracy, no electorate ever rewards an inept, corrupt and clueless government with votes and the Nigerian electorate cannot be an exception.

“Otherwise, can Nigerian voters be expected to reward PDP for squandering N48.40tn, which accrued from oil revenue between 2000 and 2011? The outcome of which is dilapidated infrastructure, darkness and rickety social services.

“Can Nigerians vote for an administration that wants to impose Petroleum Tax; without recovering looted fuel subsidy funds from Tukur and his PDP co-travellers’ children? Alternatively, do we reward an administration, which harbours a serving minister, whose company, Pinnacle Construction siphoned Fuel Subsidy Fund?

Source: Punch