ACN, CPC planning propaganda war against Jonathan – PDP

 by Olusola Fabiyi

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh
| credits: trends.com.ng

The Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that two opposition political parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria and the Congress for Progressive Change – are planning to destabilise the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government.

The PDP said the two parties were planning to use massive propaganda against the Federal Government.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, made the allegation, on Monday, when he received zonal publicity secretaries of the party from South-East, Odefa Odefa; North-West, Saidu Chiroma; and North-East, Alami Mohammed, in his office in Abuja.

Metuh said the two parties had voted a huge amount of money to discredit Jonathan’s administration and the PDP.

He said, “We have uncovered a game plan by CPC and ACN to embark on a propaganda war against the PDP, the President and its elected officials to deceive the public.

“In the next few weeks, the nation will see a huge blackmail, lies and cheap propaganda which they have budgeted very huge amount of money to discredit the PDP.

“We therefore direct millions of our supporters to be calm about these elements, which have nothing to show except cheap lies.

“We challenge the opposition to come and debate on programmes, actions and governance of the PDP rather than cheap blackmail.”

However, the CPC said the PDP-led Federal Government was a dying administration.

The CPC National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, told our correspondent that the present administration was heading for disaster.

Fashakin said, “All we have said in recent time are verifiable facts. Is this government now getting afraid of its shadows?

“That is usually the tactics of dying administrations. They usually ascribe their intrinsic capacity for failure to others.

“Do not be surprised if this administrations bares its fangs. As a party, we have simply told the leadership of PDP that their party has become a byword in dishonourable violence. The leaders of PDP do not see, hear or discern anymore.

“The nation’s wheel of progress is grinding to a screeching.”

Also, the ACN said it was obvious that the PDP-led Federal Government was tired of governance.

ACN’s spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told our correspondent that the statement by Metuh could be a ploy by the government to start arresting the members of the opposition.

Mohammed said, “You see, the government and the party are overwhelmed with the responsibility on their shoulders.

“How do we plan to destabilise the government? Do we have army, police or any security agents of our own?

“That statement is an act of desperation and it could also be a foundation to start arresting opposition leaders.

“All we have done is to market our ideas in public domain. We have asked them to join us to propagate our ideas before the Nigerian public.”

“Both the FG and the PDP are dearth of ideas. It is a pity that such a party is the ruling party in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, Metuh said the PDP was satisfied with the performance of the President since his assumption of office, adding that the party was  monitoring the performance and activities of its other elected officials.

He called on the zonal publicity secretaries to focus on issues while educating the people on the benefit of PDP leadership.

He said, “We have been able to stabilise the economy in the midst of world global recession as is the case in Italy and Spain. We have not witnessed any bank that collapsed in Nigeria.

“We are happy with the President and his visions towards transforming Nigeria. We have a President whose humility is unparallel, who has shown love to his people through his vision for his people.”

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues,  Odefa frowned on the criticisms levelled against the PDP and the President by the opposition parties.

Odefa urged the CPC and the ACN to be more mature in their criticism, saying the strength of opposition parties was not determined by the newspaper publication but by grassroots spread and acceptability.

He said, “We are not afraid of the merger and criticism because we hold the ball. It is the man who holds the ball that face tackles.

“The way ACN and CPC is criticising the President is not healthy, they should be more mature in their criticism.

“We are not bothered or afraid of the opposition parties because we have the largest followers. Let them merge million times we are not bothered, during election, we know how to do better by carrying people along.

“We challenge the CPC and ACN to a debate as to who is doing the right thing in the country.”

Punch