• Party suffering from withdrawal syndrome –APC
From Romanus Ugwu and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) alleged, yesterday, that President Muhammadu Buhari wants to be sole candidate in the 2019 presidential election.
The opposition party said that is the reason the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is bent on instigating crisis within its fold.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this at a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday.
However, Ologbondiyan said the PDP is not only determined to give the APC a strong fight in the 2019 presidential election, but also prepared to win the election.
He said he ruling party has been jittery since PDP had its last national convention, noting that the opposition party would not allow itself to be distracted.
Ologbondiyan said: “President Buhari wants to be the sole canddiate in 2019. That’s why they want to cause crisis in our party. We are going to stand as a party and we are going to fiercely contest election in 2019. Our doors are open to Nigerians and anyone who is interested in contesting election in 2019 can come in.
“We will not allow APC distract us. APC has become very worried since our convention. As we speak, the constitution of APC requires them to hold convention every two years but they have not done so.
“They are so unsettled that PDP is progressing and progressing progressively. That is why they are looking for some people to cause confusion in our party but we have gone beyond that.”
Speaking on the emergence of a faction in the party, the PDP spokesman said the party has put in place measures to address the grievances of all its members.
He urged all members with misgivings over the outcome of its December 9 national convention to embrace the ongoing reconciliation process in the party.
Ologbondiyan warned that the party would not hestiate to sanction recalcitrant members
Regardless, APC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, urged the PDP to see beyond its propaganda and that the party is gripped with ‘withdrawal syndrome,’ being in opposition for the first time since 1999.
“The accusation that president Buhari wants to be a sole candidate does not even make sense simply because it is presumptuous and is inconsistent with the principle of internal democracy on which our party is built. But, expecting the PDP to understand internal democracy would be asking for too much.
“The PDP should be embarrassed that they cannot see beyond the APC for explanations to their problems. The way they blame us for everything happening to them, you would think the PDP is one of those surrogate parties. The day they began to realise that it is their falsehood catching up with them, they would have taken the first major step towards recovery. Anything built on falsehood cannot stand.
“We warned them that their convention was a sham. But, they were busy clapping for themselves and abusing us. Now the chicken has come to roost. The APC has no hand in whatever is happening to them.
“The problem is that PDP is still suffering from withdrawal syndrome. They are behaving as though the only way they can survive as a political party is if they are in power.
“Therefore, they are not willing to do the difficult work of rebuilding their party first. You can’t build something on nothing. They should look into the mirror and be honest to themselves. Blaming APC for everything is becoming boring.”