PDP Leadership Alleges Smear Campaign By Opposition Parties
ABUJA, May 01, (THEWILL) - The office of the Acting National Chairman of the People Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that it has uncovered a plot by persons believed to be agents of the opposition to use the press and social media networks to fabricate and disseminate spurious stories about the party’s current leadership.
It further alleged that the aim of the smear campaign is to embarrass and tarnish the public image of top leaders of the ruling party.
A statement signed by Emeka Nwankpa, media aide to the acting chairman of the PDP, Haliru Mohammed, weekend in Abuja said intelligent reports available to the party boss, indicate that some opposition groups have hired and commissioned certain newspapers, news magazine social media networks and fifth columnists to concoct and disseminate false claims and allegations against leaders of the Party to cause distrust, discord, suspicion and disaffection in order to set them against one another thereby creating internal discontent and disharmony.
“The Office of the Acting National Chairman of the party has viewed the situation and has therefore alerted leaders, loyalists and supporters of the party to be wary of false publications, alarming leaflets, text messages, rumours and comments attributed to certain persons in the top hierarchy of the party, as these are mere ploys to create division in the party,” the statement
said.
It also said that with the conclusion of the general elections in the country, some persons have shifted their conspiracy to the ruling party with the aim of infiltrating it and sow discord and induce crisis in its fold.
Stating that the party is handling the situation, the statement stressed that no amount of smear campaign or conspiracy will stop Nigerians from keeping faith with the party.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no amount of smear campaigns, conspiracy or political shenanigans will stop Nigerians from keeping faith with our party as the outcomes of the recent elections have shown,” it said.
The statement also warned media managers not to allow themselves to be used to cause disunity and disintegration of the country.
“The Office therefore states that it wishes to use this medium to caution owners and managers of newspapers, news magazines and social media networks against being used as tools by those it described as agents of chaos, disunity and disintegration of the country masquerading as politicians.
“To the masterminds of this wicked plot, the Office wishes to admonish and advise them to use their talents to build the Nigerian nation in response to the repeated calls by the President-elect, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that all Nigerians should endeavour to put behind them the sentiments on the outcomes of the recent elections and come together to build a nation that not only fulfils the dream of our founding fathers but a nation that will be cherished by generations yet unborn.
Meanwhile, progressive politicians and opposition leaders in the country are said to have commenced consultations on the need to unify their ranks in the aftermath of the botched electoral talks that polarized their movement, jeopardizing their chances of winning the 2011 presidential elections.
The latest intervention, opposition leaders have said, became necessary in the light of what it termed unproductive cleavages arising from discord over the 2011 alliance proposals as against the urgent need to give positive leadership to the mass frustration, which followed the 2011 elections
Olawale Okunniyi, Spokesman for the Progressive Summit Group, PSG, disclose this after holding preliminary consultation on the way forward with Tunji Braithwaite, the Leader of the National Intervention Group, NIG at his Victoria Island residence in Lagos.
Mr. Okunniyi, who was the governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Ogun state in the April 26 elections, regretted the inability of
the progressives to strike accord in the 2011 elections.
According to him, the opposition would now have to learn their lessons the hard way but was quick to add that with the growing frustration, impoverishment and political impunity pervading the country, progressive forces will be conditioned to come together shortly and reclaim their lost opportunity.
He said, “In the next few days, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, the Leader of NIG, assisted by others, will be expected to rally a host of key gladiators of the movement from the six geo political zones to review the state of our democracy and set a clear agenda for the country.
“We concede that leaders of conscience in the nation would still need to jointly intervene in re negotiating the Nigerian state as the present dominant political structure can no longer take the country forward.”