Stop The Lies Or Face Treason, Presidency Warns APC

President Goodluck Jonathan has warned the All Progressive Congress, APC,

to desist from any act capable of inciting the people against the

Government or be ready to face treason.
A statement signed by Presidential Spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati accused the

APC of peddling falsehood and acts of blackmail in its attempt to impugn

the integrity of the Government.
The Statement reads:
“We have noted with utter disdain, the reckless and irresponsible call by

the APC on Sunday for the National Assembly to commence impeachment

proceedings against President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Ordinarily, we would not have dignified Alhaji Lai Mohammed's latest

vituperations in the service of his paymasters with a response, but we

thought it necessary to warn that the Federal Government will not standby

idly and let the nation be plunged into unnecessary crises and political

instability because of the desperation and apparent readiness of the APC

spokesman and his gang of power-seeking desperadoes to sacrifice the

well-being of the country on the altar of their selfish personal

ambitions.
“The Presidency totally condemns the decision by Alhaji Mohammed and his

party to move further beyond the bounds of honourable and acceptable

political conduct with the senseless call for the impeachment of a

President who continues to sincerely devote himself to the discharge of

the sacred mandate freely given to him by Nigerians.

“The APC, which remains a minority party with doubtful credentials in the

National Assembly, knows fully well that its attempt to hector and

blackmail a Parliament dominated by loyal members of the President's

party, the PDP, into an impeachment process, will come to nothing.

“But it has cavalierly embarked on this outrageous gambit, with scant

regard for peace, order, security and political stability in the country,

in furtherance of its dastardly and heinous strategy of over-heating the

polity and working to cause public disaffection against the Jonathan

Presidency with lies, false accusations and unjustifiable indictments

ahead of the 2015 general elections.
“The emptiness and hollowness of the APC's call for President Jonathan's

impeachment will be obvious to all objective and discerning Nigerians who

read through the statement issued by Alhaji Mohammed today. It was long on

self-serving rhetoric and falsehoods, but lacked a single clearly defined

charge on the basis of which any plausible impeachment proceedings against

the President can be initiated.
“All that the APC could offer in justification of its absurd and

hare-brained impeachment call was a rehash of its well-worn litany of

baseless accusations against the President, including some for which

culpability should be laid squarely at the doorsteps of its own leaders

and some of their new friends.
“The Presidency also considers it utterly deplorable that the APC has, in

its Machiavellian desperation to seize control of the Federal Government,

recklessly assailed the integrity and honour of the Nigerian Judiciary in

a callous attempt to pre-empt the outcome of the case legitimately

brought against it and some of its new friends by the PDP.

“Alhaji Mohammed's unscrupulous effort to drag the nation's judiciary into

its murky political warfare and his readiness to intimidate and blackmail

members of the bench so as to secure a favourable outcome for his party in

the pending case clearly shows that nothing is beyond the pale for him and

the APC in pursuit of their quest for power.
“The Jonathan Administration does not need Lai Mohammed or the APC to

remind it of its constitutional responsibility for the security and

well-being of Nigerians. The President will continue to do his utmost best

to achieve positive national transformation in all areas in spite of

efforts by the opposition to thwart or disparage the work of his

administration.
“In this regard, we have noted the undisguised threat by the APC to foster

public insurrection against the Federal Government if pending legal cases

go against it. We urge Nigerians to take special note of this boastful

indication of an intention to resort to lawlessness.

“The Presidency warns that the APC and any persons who make themselves its

willing tools for the breach of public order and safety will be made to

face the full sanctions of the law. Those who are threatening fire and

brimstone should be ready for consequences of treasonable action.

“The APC's false copy-cat allegation that 1, 000 snipers are being

trained by the Jonathan Administration clearly shows that they are now in

cahoots with some other elements who are bent on discrediting this

administration and inciting the public against it.

“President Jonathan is running a people's government. He does not need any

snipers. His legitimacy comes from the people. Those who are alleging the

existence of snipers should step forward and provide the evidence or shut

up forever and go down in history as spineless cowards, driven by sheer

greed and indecency.
“We dismiss the APC's call for the President's impeachment as

opportunistic, partisan and ill-motivated.
“We call on patriots to make the necessary distinction between such

reckless violations of civic duty and the urgent need to protect the

integrity of the Nigerian nation against those who for selfish reasons

have declared their readiness to stop at nothing.”