ABUJA, Federal Republic of Nigeria (Report by Johnbosco Agbakwuru) — Labour Party has condemned the gale of defections in the country after the All Progressives Congress, APC, won the presidential election in March 28, stating that the development was capable of making the country a one state party from May 29.
Labour Party in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja signed by its National Secretary, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo said that since General Muhammadu Buhari was declared winner of the presidential election, unfolding events had shown that the party is a party of intolerant go-getters.
He said, “Events since the flag bearer of the APC was declared winner of the March 28 presidential election have shown that the APC is a party of intolerant go-getters, who would not brook opposing views, much less allow an opposition party to survive.
“With the APC, there is no doubt that our fledgling democracy is at risk of devouring avariciousness of a one-party state.”
The party in the statement noted that a typical example of intolerant attitude of the APC was evidenced in the haste with which the party allegedly encouraged its members in Ekiti state to uprising, even when there was a case pending in court over crisis in the House of Assembly.
Ajulo accused the APC of rushing to instigate the 19 members of the Ekiti House of Assembly to attack the state government describing such action as an invasion.
“They hurried to Ekiti led by 19 ousted lawmakers in a manner that can best be described as an invasion, even when an election is a mere one week away and in circumstances unbecoming of member of a party that claims to be an agent of change”
Commenting on the APC’s distancing itself from the statement credited to the Oba of Lagos over a curse he placed on Ibos living in Lagos if they refused to vote for his candidate, Akinwumi Ambode of the APC as the next Governor of Lagos, Ajulo said the action smirked of
insincerity and deceit.
Labour Party also carpeted the APC over the crisis in Rivers state, stating that the party had turned Rivers state into a battle ground through spurious allegations and protests in its bid to keep fomenting trouble, encouraging rancor and intimidating opposition, even before it takes power.
It said, “It is interesting that while the APC is busy marching on Abuja and petitioning over results from the South-South and South-East where the party was defeated, it is yet to find its voice regarding the issue of underage voting, non-usage of card readers in the core North where the party got unbelievable landslide victory.”
He therefore counselled that the opposition must be prepared for an enduring battle to save our democracy while chiding the PDP for its inability to present a picture of a party ready to play opposition in the coming dispensation.
” The PDP have serious problems in, Ondo, Abia, Adamawa, Kwara, Edo state where the party leaderships have all moved into the APC and in several other states, the party is in disarray
“The PDP is not prepared to play its part as opposition. But then our democracy has to be saved from the abysmal danger of an emerging one party state. We must not fail to learn a lesson from the exemplary response of President Goodluck Jonathan to the outcome of the March 28 presidential election in building a strong opposition from the scratch”
“Our party, the Labour Party, believes that this is a task that must be done and done in earnest. We are ready to play our part. We are ready to bell the cat. It is an onerous duty. To save our democracy and Our country Nigeria is a task that must be done. It is time to act.”
