PDP Reacts To APC’s Stance On NASS Leadership

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the presidency to desist from any move to  intimidate or harass the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and the National Assembly Service Commission.

In a statement issued by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh on Thursday, the Party commended the clerks of the green chamber for performing their statutory functions during the inauguration of the National Assembly.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh

The PDP alleged that the APC plans to transfer its frustrations to the clerks. The PDP says the inability of the APC to produce their wanted candidates in the house was a product of their ineptitude and any move to scuttle the upper chambers would amount to witch-hunt and victimization.

The party slammed a statement by President Buhari’s media aide, Shehu Garbu which alleged that the clerks of the house ignored the president’s request to move the time to open the 8th senate.

The party said it “amounts to putting undue pressure on civil servants in the National Assembly for performing their legitimate duties and sends a serious signal which should not be ignored.”

The PDP accused the APC of putting their interest ahead of the nations by calling a meeting when the president had given the green light for the national assembly to be inaugurated.

The statement said: “It is a clear mark of disrespect to the constitution for the President and his party to fix a meeting for him to address their legislators the same time he had directed the Assembly to be inaugurated in line with the constitution. For 16 years that PDP nurtured democracy in this country, there was never a day it attempted to arm-twist or intimidate the bureaucracy of the National Assembly to do its bidding given our recognition and respect for the independence and sanctity of the legislative arm.

READ ALSO: Why APC Lost Deputy Senate Presidency – Melaye

“The National Assembly is the citadel of democracy and represents the collective voice of all Nigerians. The PDP, even in opposition will continue to protect its sanctity and will therefore resist any attempt by the APC to undermine its independence and those of other democratic institutions in our country.”

The PDP says the President’s call for the senate inauguration be moved is against Buhari’s inauguration speech to “to defend the constitution and serve the nation without fear or favour and irrespective of party, religion and tribe, as he did not consider the interests of other political parties and the generality of Nigerians.”

The PDP mocked the APC for the way it handled the inauguration of the 8th assembly calling the party ill-equipped and inexperienced to be the ruling party.

The statement continued: “From March 28, 2015 to June 9th, the APC had about 74 days within which it was expected to put its house in order and present its leaders for the 8th National Assembly, but it could not because of the greed and selfishness of its so-called godfathers who instead chose to fix their party meeting the same time the President scheduled for the inauguration of the National Assembly”.

The PDP asked the APC to praise the clerk of the house for  “for his patriotic and courageous stand that has helped minimize the embarrassment the shifting would have brought to the country internationally given that it has been announced to take place at a particular time on Tuesday.”

The PDP concluded its statement saying the APC should apologize to Nigerians for the “embarrassment their ineptitude and inexperience has been causing the nation since they came into office.”

Senator Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central – APC) was elected the Senate president after being adopted by PDP senators while Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP emerged as the deputy Senate president.

Meanwhile, the leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has vowed not to recognize the newly sworn in Senate president, Bukola Saraki.

The post PDP Reacts To APC’s Stance On NASS Leadership appeared first on NEWS.NAIJ.COM – Nigerian & worldwide news..

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