The All Progressives Congress has accused the Peoples Democratic Party of sponsoring the attacks on President Goodluck Jonathan in Katsina and Bauchi State.
The APC alleged that the ruling party orchestrated the attacks, as part of its “devilish” plan to demonise the opposition and force a postponement of the February general elections.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday by the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed, the opposition party further alleged that the coordinated reactions to the attacks by the Presidency; the Senate President, David Mark; and the leadership of the Ijaw had exposed the sponsors of the attacks.
The APC said those who were condemning the attacks should direct their anger at the PDP, which allegedly hired the hoodlums who attacked the President in Katsina and Bauchi and gave them brooms to make them look like APC supporters.
The statement read, ‘’Information is now in the public domain that these attacks were self inflicted, with the aim of demonising the APC and instigating retaliatory attacks in the southern states, thus precipitating chaos, which the PDP and the Presidency will then use as an excuse for the postponement of the elections
‘’Apparently, they did not envisage that the information about their complicity over the attacks will leak to the public. It is common knowledge that the security around the President is such that no hoodlum can come close enough to pelt him with stones.”
The opposition party said the Presidency distorted facts when it accused the APC of breaching the Abuja peace accord that was signed by the presidential candidates of various political parties, saying the PDP did not allow the ink with which the agreement was signed to dry before it started breaching it.
The APC added, ‘’The second attack on our offices in Rivers State took place after the pact was signed, just like the serial attacks on our supporters in Sokoto State, (allegedly) organised by a PDP stalwart in the city and aided and abetted by the Police.
“The death-wish-for-Buhari advert by the incautious Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, which could have triggered unimaginable violence if not properly managed by the APC, also breached the agreement.
‘’Where was the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, when all these breaches were taking place? Not once did he issue a statement to say ‘this nonsense must stop’.
Meanwhile, efforts made to speak with the national leadership of the PDP on the APC allegation were not successful.
It was gathered that the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, had travelled out of the country.
Both Metuh’s deputy, Ibrahim Jalo and the National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, didn’t pick their calls. They also didn’t respond to text messages sent to their telephone numbers.
