ABUJA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. The National Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Kayode Ajulo, has raised concern over the emerging trend whereby politicians with corruption history now find the All Progressives Congress (APC) a safe haven to run to in order to evade prosecution.
Ajulo, while commenting on the spate of defection of politicians to the APC fold, described the action the politicians as “desperate, venal, and self-seeking behaviour.”
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the LP scribe said the action of the decamping politicians is nothing but selfish and a move “borne out of self-preserving instincts of dishonourable characters within the erstwhile ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”
According to him, “The APC is being subtly turning into a sanctuary by shady characters from the PDP who want to escape the long arm of the law. The deluge of defections into the ruling APC should be a matter of concern for discerning and well-meaning Nigerians who want a country founded on justice, equity and the rule of law.
“Let no one be deceived by this trend of defections; it is nothing but a desperate measure enacted by corrupt politicians to evade prosecutions for crimes committed.”
Ajulo wondered why the affected politicians were suddenly falling over themselves to align with the APC even though in the build-up to the 2015 elections, many of the defecting politicians claimed to have no confidence in the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari who later emerged winner at the presidential polls.
“These are people who vigorously opposed the bid of President Buhari during the campaign season, now he (Buhari) and his party, APC, have become the beautiful bride being courted by many suitors.
“Initially, it was assumed that the defectors were ‘porting’ to the ruling party because they wanted continuous access to the huge funds accessible by association with the party now in power.
“However, a close look at these characters have showed that they see the APC as some sort of haven and they are flocking into it not so much because they are chasing money but actually because they are fleeing from accountability and possible prosecution,” he said.
Expressing fears that the trend was ominous, Ajulo called for vigilance on the part of civil society and the international community also stating that the current spate of defections portends grave dangers for the nation’s democracy and President Buhari’s anti-corruption agenda.
Ajulo said: “It is very regrettable that the very ones who Nigerians would have expected to speak out against this travesty are keeping quite because they are also lobbying for choice appointments in the President Buhari’s cabinet.
“The president should be very wary of those scheming to enter the ranks of his party because this would go a long way to determine the results of his much publicised war against corruption.
“He should be mindful of the fact that he rose to office on the platform of incorruptibility, and the fact that Nigerians were convinced to vote for him because of two main factors which are that they wanted change and his anti-corruption stand which also convinced them that he is the man for the job.”
The LP chieftain further stated that the recent spate of defections into APC may well cripple his good intentions to rid Nigeria of corruption, adding that any attempt to indulge the defectors by shielding them from corruption would effectively truncate his war against corruption.
“The president should leverage on the confidence that Nigerians have reposed in him by adopting a non-partisan stance as he executes his war against corruption in Nigeria. Furthermore, he should take the opportunity to convince sceptics by starting the house-cleaning from his own party, the APC.
Credit: ThisDay (Nigeria)
