In an allegation that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is certain to consider as laughable, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has accused the ruling party of spearheading desperate moves to scuttle its planned merger with opposition parties.
ACN had been involved in moves to merge with Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but the merger, since it was first muted, has not been successive.
Huhuonline.com had reported then that the merger could fail, considering the personal interests and desires of some top members of the parties involved in the proposed merger.
The ACN, which is now pointing accusing fingers, said it was alerting the nation to desperate measures being planned by the Federal Government either discredit or silence key opposition leaders involved in the ongoing plan to form a formidable platform to confront the PDP in 2015.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party alleged that the paranoia over the merger plans has driven the Federal Government into resorting to imprudent and crude tactics aimed at tarnishing the image of key opposition leaders, especially ACN leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, his CPC counterpart Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and their close political associates.
It said Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is particularly a prime target of these “evil machinations,” because of his status as the leader of the country’s second biggest party, his progressive credentials and his electoral value. It added that as far as the PDP-led government is concerned, getting Tinubu out of the way is the best way to ruin the merger plans.
“For the Jonathan-led administration, and not minding its deceptive aloofness from it all, the race for 2015 has started in earnest and it is a do-or-die affair, and all means foul and unfair are on the table to cripple the opposition, by ensuring that nothing will be left of the integrity of its key leaders even if they are fortunate to make it to 2015,” the released read.
“These opposition leaders are considered as constituting a clear and present danger to the electoral fortunes of the PDP in 2015, hence must be stopped at all costs and by whatever means.”
The party revealed a huge “war chest” has been earmarked for the phased campaign, which has already started with a well-oiled media war being waged especially online, denigrating the leaders.
“Some key government agencies have also been co-opted to dig up any dirt they hope can be plastered on the targeted leaders, while foreign intelligence agencies have been contacted in a desperate attempt to unearth any information that can be used to discredit and disgrace these major opposition figures thus distracting them from the merger plans.
“Indications are that highly-combustible sectional and religious issues being manipulated by desperate forces to divide and destroy are not off the table as long as exploiting them can shut down the opposition. Or how else does one interpret a recent PDP statement that President Goodluck Jonathan is being criticised by the opposition because he is from a minority ethnic group?
“And what about the continuous efforts, which have failed so far, to portray a key opposition leader as a sponsor of Boko Haram? His nomination as a ‘facilitator’ of some phantom peace talks was not an accident, but was carefully choreographed to portray him as a religious zealot and terrorist not fit to preside over the affairs of the nation.”
ACN warned that every single action of the PDP-led federal government concerning the stated evil machinations “would be put under the microscope” henceforth, and called on all lovers of democracy and the rule of law to be on the alert in the days and weeks ahead to help forestall the evil plan.
“Those who either conveniently acquiesced or opted to dine with the devil when many progressives took to the trenches during the long, bitter and gruelling battle to enthrone the democracy we are now enjoying apparently do not value it, and will stop at nothing to endanger it on the altar of selfish personal interests and political expediency,” the statement added.
“It is therefore incumbent on all Nigerians, especially those who believe that all hands must be on deck to nurture and strengthen our democracy, to be vigilant. After all, it is said that eternal vigilance is the price of libert
