On the day when everyone was feeling the excruciating pain of the last ten years of democratic rule, the nation’s ruling party Peoples Democratic Party was having a field day. Their party leaders enjoyed lavish celebration of ‘demons of craze’, across the nation. The party also seized the opportunity to display its mediocre, self-serving and propagandist ideologies.
The Deputy National Chairman PDP Dr Bello Haliru Mohammed accused the United States government and its embassy in Nigeria of conspiracy and plotting with opposition groups to destabilise the country. He particularly noted that part of the plot is for the US Embassy to organise a meeting between the pro-democracy groups in Nigeria and President Barack Obama in Ghana, where the groups would seek to persuade the US President that the administration of President Umaru Yar’Adua is “illegitimate”. But shortly after, the National Public Secretary of the party Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali released a media statement dissociating the party from the statement, which it said was, at best, the personal opinion of the Deputy National Chairman.
What manner of political party is this PDP? It is clear that the party has lost the plot. Their leaders are now beginning to feel the heat. Despite the rebuttal from the National Publicity Secretary I do not believe that the comments of Dr Mohammed were his ‘personal opinion’. The allegations levelled against the US government are quite serious and I want to believe it is the collective opinion of leaders of the political party. The statement reflects the thinking of a political party that is gradually losing its grip on power and in awe of the opposition. From all indications, it seems the only way they can continue to subvert the opposition is to engage a cheap blackmail and propaganda. But you know what, their time is ticking and it is ticking very fast!
I find it very ridiculous that a political party that describes itself as the biggest political party in Africa can denigrate itself to the point of blackmailing the US President and US government. We need to ask PDP leaders few questions. Firstly, is it not the prerogative of the US President to meet with whoever he chooses? Secondly, is it now a criminal offence to meet with a foreign leader outside Nigeria? Thirdly, do we now need to seek permission to hold political meetings outside Nigeria? Fourthly, is President Obama so jobless that all he thinks about is political situation in Nigeria? Maybe someone needs to remind the PDP that we do not live in Communist China or North Korea.
We also need to ask the PDP leaders what they actually mean by plot to ‘destabilise’ the country. For me, you can only destabilise a country that is ‘stable. The ruling elite must be under illusion to think that Nigeria is stable. They must be suffering from mental delusion to think this way. Is a nation that is plunged into darkness for almost 365 years is stable? Is a nation that is faced with incessant fuel scarcity stable? Is a nation where commuters spend twelve hours in traffic queue stable? Is a nation with 60% unemployment stable? Is a nation where 80% have no access to potable water supply stable? Is a nation where 70% live on less than $1 a day stable? Is a nation where state agencies are used to rig electoral process stable? Is a nation where innocent civilians are intimidated with military soldiers stable? Is a nation where state agencies are used to subvert democratic principles stable? Is a nation where political office holders are allowed to loot the treasury without any fear of prosecution stable? Is a nation where innocent civilians are killed under the guise of fighting militant groups stable? Is a nation where innocent civilians are being kidnapped stable? Is a nation where oil installations are constantly blown up militant groups stable?
And by the way, I heard President Yar’Adua saying that “we must be ready to be democrats in thought, in word and indeed”. What a big joke! He might be democratic in thoughts and words, but he has failed to demonstrate any democratic principles in his actions. The Ekiti saga is a strong indictment of his failure.
Over the last ten years, PDP has continued to systematically propagate a doctrine that only reflects the views of their selfish and corrupt political leaders.
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