Elder statesman and chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, had on Sunday warned that the All Progressives Congress, APC, was a big threat to the dominance of the ruling party.
Anenih gave this warning while addressing a meeting of Governors, federal Legislators and state chairmen of the party from the south-south zone in Asaba, Delta State.
According to him, “We must not live under the illusion that our party is invulnerable. Although, the existing opposition parties are still too small, fragile and sectional, we must not ignore the possibility that a merger of these parties may constitute a threat to our current dominance of the political terrain.
“We cannot afford to be complacent. We must expect any eventuality and prepare to overcome them.”
Anenih, however, chided the newly merged opposition party, the All Progressives Congress,APC, describing it as a house built on sand which is likely to collapse with the first rain.
On the NGF, he remarked that the recent activities of the governors’ association portrayed it as an anti-federal government lobby, which is contrary to its stated mission statement of “providing a common platform for synergy, collaboration among interests” or “serving as a bi-partisan lobby group which fosters, promotes and sustains democratic ethos, good governance in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.”
According to him, “Indeed, the general perception is that the NGF has become a formidable group of power wielders, seeking to control governments at all levels, including the federal government.
“What is now beyond doubt is that the NGF has been hijacked by opposition governors and is no longer promoting the interest of the PDP. It is for this reason that I fully endorse the formation of the PDP Governors Forum.”
The party chieftain also called for a new system of selecting presidential and governorship candidates of the party that would forestall frictions and acrimony.
“Our party primaries have, over the years, been the most serious sources of rancour and disunity in our ranks. Almost two years are devoted to pre-election processes for political offices and another two in managing post-primaries/election bitterness and disunity.
“We cannot continue this tradition of internal warfare. We must not live under the illusion that we can fight ourselves to the finish and hope that we can continue to have enough energy left to win elections,” he warned.
He, therefore, advocated a new selection process for flag-bearers at the presidential and governorship levels that leave the candidates enough reserve of energy to face up to his opponents from other parties in the general election.
“We must seriously consider this in order to avoid frictions and acrimony in the overall interest of our party and the nation,” he stated..
He said at the meeting that the persistent negative profiling of the administration of President Jonathan was a major concern to him.
The BoT chair drew attention to what he described as “a well-oiled wheel of insidious media propaganda which has been tirelessly churning out sinister information about the Jonathan administration for the purpose of destabilising (and eventually replacing) his government.
“Unfortunately, some of these political enemies have PDP members as accomplices,” he lamented, and warned thus, ‘any of our brothers and sisters being used to play mischievous roles’ to desist from doing so.
He urged the party men to beware of the antics of mischief-makers who thrive on rumour-mongering.
“PDP state governors and other leaders must guard against rumours and the manipulative antics of the opposition. The question to ask is: why are PDP leaders so susceptible to manipulation by opposition parties?”
He denied that the presidency was using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC,to witch-hunt governors who refuse to support President Jonathan’s alleged interest in contesting the presidency in 2015.
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