The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned what it called the “emerging height of political recklessness in Lagos and Ekiti states” ahead of Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections and called on all Nigerians to stand up against such anti-democratic tendencies.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, Monday, the party said the “senseless and unpatriotic” impeachment move against Governor Ayo Fayose by out-going APC state legislators and the “barbaric” death threats on non-indigenes in Lagos by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, if they vote for the PDP candidate, Jimi Agbaje, ascend to a height of unruliness that should not be accommodated.
“The PDP totally and unequivocally rejects the flimsy and unsubstantiated allegations concocted by the APC legislators against Governor Fayose. We state in very clear terms that we will stand with him and bear our full weight in defense of the mandate freely given to him by the people of Ekiti state.
“We invite all lovers of democracy and the international community to note the antics of APC and the deliberate plot to destabilize the polity even when it is yet to assume power”, the party said.
It also said it was most unfortunate that a royal father of the status of the Oba of Lagos should attempt to drag the revered traditional institution into partisan politics to the level of threatening innocent Nigerians with the view to prevent them from freely exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right.
“Our response to the Oba of Lagos is that he cannot play God and can never be God. God owns the universe and every part of it and can never share His glory with any human no matter how highly placed.
“We therefore call on all Nigerians in Lagos state; all Igbos, Hausas, Yorubas and people of other tribes; all northerners and southerners; all Christians and Muslims to turn against this unpatriotic stance, by coming out en masse to vote for the PDP candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, on Saturday”, it said.
PDP added that the comments by the Oba reminds of the 2013 inhuman and callous arrest, detention and eventual “deportation” of non-indigenes by the APC-led government of Lagos state and confirms fears that the APC is indeed on a mission to destroy our national unity, balkanize the nation and obliterate the personal freedom Nigerians enjoy today.
“Already, the APC has started terrorizing supporters of the PDP with vows to make life unbearable for them when it eventually assumes power.
“Our investigation reveals that many of our prominent supporters have been marked. The process has already started with threats to the life, family and business of the Chairman of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah for supporting PDP candidates and helping non-indigenes win some Lagos seats in the National Assembly on the platform of the our great party.
“Indeed, if this threats on a duly elected state governor and innocent Nigerians constitute the picture or foretaste of the order of the day when the APC finally assumes power at the center, then the nation is in serious danger. However, the PDP states in very unambiguous terms that Nigerians would not accept such under any guise whatsoever.
“This is more so because in the last 16 years, our citizens from all walks of lives have seen civility and decorum under the PDP-led administration and would not accept any attempt by anybody to institute a reign of terror in the country.
“We therefore urge General Muhammadu Buhari as the leader of the APC to call his members and supporters, particularly in Lagos and Ekiti to order; especially bearing in mind that it was the peaceful atmosphere and the level playing ground nurtured by the PDP-led administration that created the room for his emergence at the presidential polls”, it said.
The ruling party further said that Nigeria cannot at this moment afford to slide into anarchy, reign of terror and deliberate schemes to divide the people for selfish political reasons.
“The PDP will completely resist all anti-democratic forces from any quarters. We therefore charge Nigerians, especially those in Lagos and Ekiti states respectively to stand up fearlessly and reject the unpatriotic stance of the Oba of Lagos and the undemocratic move to dismantle the mandate given to Governor Ayo Fayose by the people”, it said.
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