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.”