The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reportedly warned the All Progressive Congress (APC) over the ongoing crisis in the country’s national assembly.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, a copy obtained by ThisDay.
The party in the statement told the APC to leave President Goodluck Jonathan out of the problems rocking the House, adding that as the elected representative of the people, the president could be blamed for APC’s woes.
“Every Nigerian knows clearly that PDP as a political party does not remote control its members. We don’t believe in interfering in the affairs of the National Assembly as a parliament, let alone the House of Representatives. PDP believes that as elected adults, they are responsible for their action and it would be unfair to lay such blames on the president. The members are capable of taking decisions as adults. We are operating a democracy and there are three arms of government and National Assembly, and indeed the House of Representatives is part of the legislative arm of government. There are crises in other states and the president cannot be blamed for such crises,” Metuh, said.
Speaking on the APC’s allegation that the president was sabotaging the war against insurgency, the national publicity secretary said it was a baseless allegation that was not founded on any logic. He said the people playing politics with the issue of insurgency known themselves but certainly not the Jonathan-led administration.
The party insisted that it was important to have a limit to politics as the President has repeatedly clearly stated that: “his political ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.”
PDP, however, described as embarrassing the violence demonstrated by some lawmakers, which led to the closure of the National Assembly, and distanced itself and the presidency from the development.
Metuh, who posited that the lawmakers are responsible adults elected by their constituencies, wondered what, would have happened if security operatives were not at the scene of the National Assembly to maintain order.
The PDP while describing the development as unfortunate cautioned that the parliament being the crux of democracy, Nigerians expect its members to be above board by putting up the best behaviour.
In a related development, the President in a statement issued by its Senior Special Assistant, Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, described the attempt to lock out the speaker and the tear gassing of the National Assembly by the police as “unfortunate”.
“The whole scenario as we witnessed it is rather unfortunate. We wish that at all times, national interest should supersede all other interests including personal and political interests. From the government’s perspective, the overriding concern today is the issue of insurgency which necessitated the request by Mr. President that the National Assembly considers an extension of the state of emergency to give the security forces the needed legal framework and space for a successful prosecution of the war against Boko Haram terrorists. It is our hope that the honourable members of the House of Representatives will use the period of adjournment to resolve all matters so that they can resume to deliberate and act on issues of national importance,” Okupe said.
Meanwhile, latest report coming in from Adamawa State indicates that no fewer than 23 out of the 25 members of the state’s House of Assembly are ready to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the All Progressives Congress, APC.
